


If I Die Before I Wake

by IronEclipse



Category: Ghost Hunt
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-13
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-04-04 06:39:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 68,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4128538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IronEclipse/pseuds/IronEclipse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A chance encounter with a mysterious novel has tied Mai's life into a giant knot. There is no stepping backwards, starting over, or attempting to connect all of the dots. As the pieces slowly fall in place, an ending draws near. The problem is simple; is it one she wants to read?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello, everyone! This is my first story for 'Ghost Hunt'! I have been battling with this idea for quite awhile, and finally decided to put it into words! This first chapter is a sort of introduction or prelude to what may or may not occur in the future. It's relatively simple and easy to understand. Well, at least that's what I hope! I had fun putting this together on a cloudy afternoon! Exams are coming, so I needed some inspiration to relieve some stress!
> 
> I hope this piece is enjoyable despite it's short length! I would appreciate some feedback, so please feel free to leave a review!
> 
> *I do not own anything! If so, I would have jammed Naru and Mai together in five seconds flat!
> 
> ~IronEclipse

"Dreams catch us with our armour off."  
~Victoria Schwab

* * *

_Chapter One_

Numbers 

Oliver, or Naru as he was once called, was not one to have nightmares. Dreams were for children who needed to be held in the dark. He wasn't a snotty-nosed kid who needed to be coddled. No, he was far too mature for that. It was more enjoyable to fight against the darkness rather than succumb to it. That was the only reason why he sought out the paranormal in the first place. He refused to surrender to the emotions that nearly ate him alive.

Tonight however, was quite different. He had dreamed of something that couldn't be erased. Images filled with terror were now burned into his skull. If Naru hadn't known any better, he would have believed that they were tattooed against the back of his head. What he had seen was permanent. It would remain despite the time that constantly slipped by. It was almost worrisome, but he wasn't one to let anything get that far with ease.

With a faint sense of frustration, Naru ran a hand through his unruly black hair. His fingertips quivered within the darkness, shaking at a pace which resembled that of a leaf. For the first time in years, he realized one foolish and terrifying thing: he was actually filled with fear. The emotion, usually foreign, flowed throughout his veins like a drug. It stimulated his senses and made his vision blur. Understanding the feeling seemed impossible, but Naru wasn't an idiot. He knew where it came from. He could picture the place, or rather, the person it had been created for.

Without thinking, Naru jumped out of his bed, whipping the covers back like they were some kind of beast. When his feet touched the wooden floorboards, he suppressed a wince filled with discomfort. He needed to get to a phone. It didn't matter where it was—in his room, on the kitchen counter, or in a hallway across Britain. All he knew, was that getting to a phone was a necessity. The reason was quite simple; Naru never had dreams, especially ones that were vivid and completely astounding. Sure, he had visions when he was using his gift, but that was a different story. Unfortunately, his current situation was different. It was  _wrong._

A hiss slipped though Naru's lips as his foot came into contact with a thick leather book. He didn't know how it had found a place along the floor, but that hardly mattered now. In annoyance he picked up the hardcover and threw it on a nearby couch. When the novel cracked against the floorboards, he knew that it had failed to meet its target. He didn't know what was more frustrating—dealing with a stubbed toe or a pathetic failure. Luckily, that also held no importance. He had more urgent things to worry about, like finding a dependable phone.

It seemed to take forever, but Naru eventually found a mobile device. It had been jammed under the cushions placed along his couch. It's location was questionable, but more likely than not, he had placed it there himself. His phone was a nuisance—every time it rang, he was forced to simply talk. It was honestly a waste of time. He had better things to do, most of which involved silence and a nice cup of tea.

Naru sighed wearily and pushed away his unnecessary thoughts. There was no time to waste. What he had seen was far from normal. The images within his mind only served to make his skin crawl. He wasn't one to admit defeat in any shape or form, but if he didn't attempt to remedy the situation soon, he would fall apart. In three seconds flat, Naru dialled a familiar number and waited for an answer. Of course, he had difficultly remaining completely still. He tapped his foot rapidly, matching the frantic beat of his heart. He didn't stop, not until a voice erupted from the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

"Lin, I need numbers." Naru said in what he thought was a steady tone. His foot continued to smack against the hardwood floor.

"Oliver?" Lin questioned in a sleepy voice. "Why are you calling in the middle of the—"

Naru cut his friend off. He didn't have time for inconvenient small talk. There was a problem that desperately needed to be solved. "I need numbers."

A loud and miserable sigh erupted through the line. Lin was obviously unhappy with Naru's behaviour, but in all honesty, he could care less. It was hardly important, not compared to the situation at hand. "What numbers? Are you alright?"

"Fine," Naru paused, hoping his friend wouldn't misinterpret the situation. "I just need  _her_ number."

Silence hung throughout the room like a discarded coat. It wasn't difficult to understand why. Naru was asking for something that he had rejected months—no, years ago. He had refused to maintain a connection with Mai after she had pleaded for his phone number. In reality, he didn't really know why. Perhaps she just annoyed him, but Naru wasn't too sure. After his brother's death, he had pushed everyone away. Returning to Britain after his search in Japan was just an extension to his previous actions. Loneliness was far better than becoming a broken record. Driving Mai away was a form of protection, one that he needed in order to survive.

"Why? Did something happen?" Lin asked in a bland, but concerned tone.

"No." He lied.

"Then why do you need it?"

A rush of panic seeped through Naru's veins. He ran a hand throughout his hair and tried to breathe calmly. "Just give me the number. I have a problem to solve."

"What problem do you need Mai Taniyama to solve? You haven't talked to her in years." Lin paused, his voice cracking within the air. "What happened? Oliver, are you alright?"

"I'm  _fine_." Naru said angrily. He was tired and didn't want to deal with Lin's unnecessary compassion in the middle of the night. The whole situation was simply irrational and he was mad—not at Lin, but at himself. After remaining isolated for six years, one terrifying incident had to ruin everything. What made things worse, was that it revolved around a girl that made him want to tear his hair out. Perhaps he was just kind. In the end, he would never know. He had to make sure she was alright. Something inside his chest, a painful tugging on his ribs, told him that it was necessary to make sure.

Another sigh crackled across the phone line. "Alight. I'll give you the number."

"Good." Naru snapped, his patience slowly withering away. He released a fist full of hair and began to pace around his couch. It was dark, but he didn't really care. He doubted that another book had found its way onto the ground, and it wasn't like the floor was suddenly going to cave in. He needed to walk and burn away some stress. Otherwise, he would explode.

Lin appeared to be moving around, as rustling sounds quickly filled the air. Unfortunately, the volume on Naru's phone was extraordinarily high, so in order to survive the sudden explosion of noise, he was forced to hold the device a meter away from his head. The experience only served to enforce his distaste for phones in general. There was no reason why he should have to sacrifice his eardrums for a conversation. It was incredibly stupid and annoying. If it was any other day, he would have resisted the urge to turn the device off.

"I can't promise that it's the right one. I'm not exactly the right person to have called about this issue."

"It will be good enough."

Lin muttered something under his breath, but it was nearly undetectable to Naru's ears. He assumed it was some form of rude comment or insult, but he couldn't be too sure. After all, his hearing was slightly impaired due to the phone. Instead, of talking, he chose to wait silently, his feet continuing to clatter against the floorboards. He counted his steps and forced every negative thought from his head. Forgetting the dream was something that would occur at a later time. Now, he only had to be concerned with memorizing a number. Of course, that came relatively easy, as Naru was a genius.

"Here is the number." Lin stated quietly before he listed off a series of random digits. "Do you have it?"

"Yes."

Silence dominated the room once again, but quickly faded. "It's been an absolute  _wonder_  talking to you," Lin muttered sarcastically, "but I think it's time that I go. You have taken up enough of my time at two in the morning."

Naru didn't get to reply, as his friend had already hung up the phone. The action wasn't characteristic of Lin, but it was incredibly late, so it made some sort of sense. In all honesty, he was usually the one to suddenly end a conversation, not the other way around. He supposed Lin was similar to himself. He could act cold and distant, but become relatively friendly when desperately needed.

Rather than wallow in his thoughts, Naru turned off his phone. He took some pleasure in watching the screen grow dark before jamming it underneath a variety of cushions. The device was meant to be lost, hence the reason why he had returned it to the dark abyss within the sofa. For now, he was content with allowing the device to remain hidden. He would deal with with it the next day, when he had cultivated some sort of response. It was funny, but he couldn't call Mai without a plan in mind. His reasoning was quite simple.

In his dream, she had died. The worst part, was that he had to watch it happen.

He could remember every detail—the smell of blood, the fear scrawled across her face, the sound of her screams—it bothered Naru, more than he was willing to admit. The weird part was that it felt  _real_ , tangible in a way that was terribly disturbing. If he touched anything, he knew it would have travelled with him to the living world. He had played with the thought that perhaps Mai had sent him a message, as she was usually the one who had issues with dreams, but for some reason, he believed that to be quite unlikely. She had no reason to contact him, let alone randomly start a conversation. If she had a chance, he was certain that she would punch him in the face.

In frustration, Naru clenched his fists. He sat on the couch and turned on a nearby lampshade, watching the light slowly filter across the floorboards. Something was about to go wrong. He had a sixth sense, a feeling that always told him when a disaster was about to occur. The same thing had occurred on the night of Gene's death. He had felt an odd sensation and elected to ignore it, deeming it unworthy of his attention. That of course, had horrible implications, ones he did not wish to repeat. It would be in the best interests of everyone to make sure Mai was alright. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to sleep at night. That was the only reason he chose to remain awake, fighting against the drowsiness that plagued his brain. The light, despite its small size, was his salvation. It fought his fears and drowned his sorrows. It protected him from the darkness, which truly seemed to dance throughout the air.

For a moment, a mere instant in time, Naru was truly a child. He needed to be coddled and held against someone's chest. Never, in his entire life would he admit it, but he was afraid. Something was coming. He didn't know what.


	2. Interrogation

_"Desperation can make a person do surprising things."  
~Veronica Roth_

* * *

_Chapter Two_

Interrogation

Mai hated movies that revolved around romance. Sure, she enjoyed the odd love story, but nothing as pathetic and ridiculous as what currently was displayed across the big screen. Real love, the kind that sent shivers throughout your fingers and toes, didn't come as easily. It was a challenge to earn something so incredibly valuable, and the depictions within films were always false. She didn't believe that love came from watching a guy like a hawk, or tripping and becoming a terrible cliche. Love was a surprise. It came when you weren't looking for it.

A pained scowl decorated Mai's features as she shifted in her seat. Normally, the movie theatre was rather comfortable. Unfortunately, that was not the case. It felt like she was sitting upon hundreds of golf balls. Every time she moved pins and needles shot up and down her legs, and that wasn't the worst part. The film she was supposed to be watching—it was terrible. It was some silly love story filled with doom and gloom. She could hardly remember the main character's name, as watching the destructive mess was disturbing. Looking away and avoiding every scene was a far better alternative.

While shifting around, Mai grabbed a fistful of popcorn and shoved each kernel into her mouth. If she couldn't leave the theatre, she would eat her way to the conclusion of the movie. There was no point in wasting time simply thinking about it. She needed a distraction and food seemed like a pretty good option.

"You should pay attention."

Mai froze mid chew. She sighed miserably and turned to look toward her friend, or rather  _date,_ as that what what he truly was. Sadao Oshiro was usually just an acquaintance. As time continued to pass however, he had become much more. At first, he was just a fellow classmate at her university. He had attended some of her sociology lectures, and bumped into her around campus. Of course, those simple meetings quickly turned into dates and late night movie marathons. Sadao had become her boyfriend and she couldn't have been happier. He listened when she talked and smiled when she sunk to a low. He was perfect, or at least should have been. Mai had difficulty letting go and she couldn't figure out why.

"Why should I pay attention? This film deserves a punch in the face. It's entirely unrealistic."

"That's why you should watch." Sadao said with a sheepish grin, "it's basically a comedy with cheesy punchlines."

Mai rolled her eyes. "That hardly deserves my attention."

Another playful smirk decorated Sadao's features. Mai felt her heart flop—she loved when he smiled. It seemed to create a burst of light, one that made her day a little brighter. If she had the ability to carry one of his delightful grins within her pocket, she would without any sort of refusal.

"Well, what does deserve your attention? Please feel free to explain."

"Definitely not this stupid movie." She grumbled under her breath.

Sadao suddenly leaned forward, batting his dark eyelashes like an obsessive school girl. "How about me?"

A loud snort slipped through Mai's lips. It echoed throughout the theatre, bouncing off of every wall and seat. Several people muttered angrily, obviously annoyed with her well timed interruption. The two main characters were sharing a  _moment._  It was hardly engaging in Mai's opinion, but of course, every other human thought differently. She rolled her eyes and cursed the stupidity of the world. The lead male and female were idiots. The fact that they could kiss was amazing enough.

"I would rather watch the movie." She said sarcastically, finding amusement in the pout stretched across Sadao's lips.

"Really? I highly doubt that."

Mai snickered as he leaned closer, obviously intent on snatching a kiss. It was childish, but she didn't really mind. She enjoyed his playful attitude. It sent warmth speeding throughout her veins. It pooled at the base of her toes and spun about her head. It was a delightful feeling, but unfortunately it had to end. Her phone, which was situated within the depths of her pocket, had begun to ring loudly. In reality, it must had been pretty quiet. In the middle of a theatre however, it was a completely different story. It was like a tornado siren, blaring so horribly that it sent shivers down her spine. Every person in the room starred at her in a manner that was fit for the dead. They murdered her with their eyes.

Sadao started to laugh. "I thought you turned that off?"

"Apparently not." She muttered in frustration while stuffing a hand into her pocket. Her fingers shifted around violently, scratching against the fabric desperately like some sort of cat.

"You didn't change the ring tone either?"

Mai paused and sent Sadao a terrible glare. "No! Why would I do that?"

"It's the Ghost Busters theme song! That's why!" He replied in an airy tone. It was obvious—he didn't care about the whole situation. It didn't matter that she was angry. It didn't matter that a whole crowd of love stuck idiots were throwing daggers into her soul. Any error that she made was simply ridiculous and didn't require any train of thought. In many ways his behaviour was careless, but that didn't matter now. All she had do do was answer the phone and kill the moron who decided to call her.

As the phone flew out of her pocket, Mai pressed a finger to her lips. "Don't say anything, or I'll rip your head off."

Sadao smiled and nodded his head. "Of course, my lady."

She rolled her eyes before answering her device. Several people in the theatre told her to leave, but she ignored them. More likely than not, she would end up silently destroying the person on the other end of the line. That only meant one thing: hanging up. She wasn't about to deal with someone who had wrecked her evening out. She had to work in the morning, and that was a pretty painful concept. After suffering for a day, she deserved to watch a movie, even if it was the worst thing ever created.

" _Hello?_ " Mai said angrily. She bit her lip, preparing to deal with some foolish telemarketer. People like that called her all of the time, especially since she was a university student living off of a pitiful salary.

"So, I see you still have the decency to pick up the phone. How kind."

Ice quickly filtered through Mai's veins. For a minute she couldn't breathe, let alone think. Every thought that once barrelled through her head vanished like smoke. She couldn't comprehend what was happening. Sure, she was in a theatre, but that seemed like miles away. If it was possible to feel like drowning, she suddenly knew what it felt like. She was in an ocean. One filled with salt and tears from the past. Memories hit her like a freight train and she could barely keep her eyes open from the pain.

" _Wait here._ " Mai said in a strangled tone before standing on her feet.

Sadao's eyes, once filled with happiness, darkened with concern. "What's wrong? Who are you talking to?"

Mai didn't answer his question. She moved forward, ignoring the angry whispers of people within the crowd. They didn't matter—nothing mattered. All she had to do was get out of the theatre and into the open air. That was the only way she could breathe again. That was the only way she could think. If she continued to stand in an inclosed space she would, without a doubt, explode. She could already feel her cheeks burning up. She didn't know if it was from anger, pain, or fear. For all she knew, it could have been all three. As her footsteps dominated the ground,  _his_  voice erupted throughout the speakers. She stumbled along the carpet, forcing herself to snatch a nearby door for safety. She leaned against the glass, forcing oxygen to fill her lungs.

"The least you could do is talk. After all, I thought that was what you are good at."

She didn't know what to say. Every sort of word or phrase refused to pass through her lips. The only way to survive was to remain silent. Speaking would only destroy the moment she had been given.

"Mai, I know you're there. Don't be a dunce. Answer the phone."

The sound of her name slipping through his lips pulled apart at her sanity. She hadn't heard his voice for five years. He had pushed her away, just like every other person in his life. Mai had attempted to remain in contact, but he had dropped off the face of the earth. He had simply disappeared. At one point she wanted to find him, but that was a foolish notion, one only meant for children. She was far better than a mere kid. She had a brain and knew that her old friend would hate being found.

" _Hello?_ " He muttered in annoyance, "is anyone there?"

Mai could picture the displeasure sliding across his features. The edges of his lips would fall towards the ground, completely devoid of satisfaction. The edges of his eyes would crinkle in a manner filled with disapproval. She knew him. She knew him perfectly. Even his voice, which was smooth and deep, filled with secrets. It may have matured, but she still could read his emotions from it. Just like the image she had been given before his departure, she knew him like the back of her hand.

" _Hello?_ "

"Naru." Mai said quickly, surprised by the defeat within her voice. She didn't think that he had sunk so deep within her skin. Of course she was wrong. He was apart of her—she had just failed to admit it.

"So you exist."

"Why did you call?" She asked in a dead tone.

"My motives are none of your concern."

Anger rushed throughout her body, wreaking havoc within her brain. She couldn't believe how stupid he was. Naru didn't have the right to ignore her inquiry. He was the idiot who had chosen to call her. He had destroyed her evening and life. Five minutes ago she was fine, but now she was a bloody wreck. She was seeping emotions across the ground like rainwater. It was abnormal and she wanted it to simply stop.

"Why did you call?" She asked again, her voice rising several octaves. "You fall off the face of the earth and suddenly decide to have a chat? Who do you think I am? Some sort of moron? Where have you been for five years? What do you want?"

"Does it matter?" He stated in an arrogant tone.

"It must if you refuse to give me any sort of reason as to why."

"Don't pretend to be a genius, Mai."

Another jolt of rage consumed her thoughts. Mai threw herself off of the door, and stomped down the hall way. She didn't want to scream inside of an innocent building. Sure, it played atrocious movies, but it didn't deserve to suffer from her wrath. She would give that honour to every person outside. The parking lot was the best place to yell and completely freak out. As she pushed through the final doorway, she breathed deeply, allowing oxygen to filter throughout her chest.

"Don't play games with me, Naru. I'm not an idiot.  _Why?_  Can you give me the answer to that question, or are you still a pretentious fool with a god complex?" She hissed with venom.

"Those are some pretty big words. Don't tell me you're carrying around a dictionary."

"Sure I am." Mai retorted, fury continuing to build within her veins. "I like to practice bashing your head in once in awhile. Believe me, it's quite a stress reliever."

"Violence never solved anything."

A loud snort slipped through Mai's lips. "Says the narcissist!"

"I think this conversation has gone on long enough." Naru said, his voice crackling with the speaker of the phone. "I've got what I needed."

Another loud snort popped through Mai's mouth. She didn't understand Naru's motives. He always had a purpose, even if it was trivial in nature. He would never call for no reason. It may have been five years, but no one, not even him, would waste time on a lost cause. Something about the situation was important. It had to be.

"And what was that?"

"To make sure you were alive." And with that, he hung up, his voice immediately fading from existence.

Mai remained silent, her mouth open like that of a fish. After five years, months of wasted time, Naru had chosen to call her for one reason: to make sure she wasn't dead. It made no sense and was ridiculous coming from a man that cared for no one but himself. In frustration, she glanced at her phone and the number that was plastered onto the screen. She wanted to do something, but in the end could no nothing. It wasn't like she could teleport to Britain in order to figure Naru out. She had to remain in Japan and survive with her relentless thoughts. It was terrible, but at least she knew one thing—Naru still cared.

Even if his call wasn't genuine, it meant something. He still worried about her every day. He wouldn't have made a point to argue with her if he didn't. He may have ditched Mai and each of their friends, but it didn't mean that he didn't care. He must have in his own stupid way.

Consumed in her own thoughts, Mai snapped her phone shut. She leaned against a nearby wall and allowed every single emotion in existence to assault her brain. Ten minutes ago she would have believed that life was great. She may have been watching a foolish film, but that didn't mean she wasn't enjoying herself. Now of course, her feelings had changed. Her day had become a watery mess. She liked Sadao, but suddenly knew why she had been so incredibly hesitant. Mai still cared for Naru. After five years, of distractions she had the ability to feel for the man. It was painful and she could barely live with herself.

A groan slipped through her lips. Mai pinched the bridge of her nose and simply died inside. She wanted to go home. Her apartment was extraordinarily more better than a silly parking lot. In fact, anything was better than a parking lot. She would rather sit in a car than deal with the pavement beneath her feet.

"Mai?"

She looked up, her bangs sliding into her face. Sadao, in his tall and dark glory, stood a few feet in front of her body. Concern was plastered across his features. Mai didn't attempt to grin. There was no way she could pretend to feel okay. She felt deflated. She needed to be alone.

"Are you okay?" Sadao said softly, his hand catching Mai's shoulder.

"I have to go."

His eyes widened in surprise. "Why? The movie isn't over. I'm telling you the truth, it's actually getting good—"

"No, I have to go." She replied while stuffing her phone in a nearby pocket. "I have to work tomorrow and its getting really late."

"That's never stopped you before. What happened?"

Mai stepped forward, a wince consuming her features. She didn't want to say anything. That would only remove the smile from his face, and she didn't want to be the cause of that. She could deal with her own problems without allowing anyone to get hurt in the process. Naru was her business, therefore her responsibility. "Nothing. I just have to go. I'll call you later, okay?"

Sadao's fingers tightened along her arm. He pulled her toward his chest, but Mai resisted. She threw her arms out in order to prevent the eventual hug. "Please?" She whispered, her voice cracking in the night. "I'll call you tomorrow. I promise."

A pained sigh slipped through Sadao's lips. He released Mai and crossed his arms. He was thinking, that much was obvious. A plan was probably formulating in his mind. She could only guess what it was about. More likely than not, it revolved around the phone call and her depressive mood. Her boyfriend was the kind of guy to solve problems. He was basically a detective.

"Call me tomorrow after work. I'll pick you up then."

"Sadao—"

"That's the only way I'll let you go now. It's called a compromise."

Another loud groan exploded in the air. Mai knew that Sadao played games. That was how he had first gotten a date with her. He had mixed around some of his words and glued a vibrant smile onto his face. Of course she couldn't have refused. His act was too perfect, let alone clever. It may have been months later, but she still couldn't say no.

"Fine."

"Excellent!" He cheered, a small smile on his face. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You most certainly will." Mai grumbled before walking away. Normally, she would have kissed his cheek, but for some reason, she couldn't do it. Naru's phone call, as small and pitiful as it was, had changed things. Looking at Sadao created an odd form of pain, and she needed some time to figure things out. Otherwise she would pull her own hair out from the stress of it all.

As she walked down the street, darkness consumed her silhouette. She breathed deeply, sucking in air as if she could suddenly inhale the stars. Three things became incredibly obvious: she needed to know why Naru had somehow decided to intrude on her life. She needed to know why he had came into existence again. What she needed, although she was just beginning to figure it out, was to make some calls.


	3. An Open Book

_'I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.'  
_ ~Jorge Luis Borges

* * *

_Chapter Three_

An Open Book

The sun was beautiful. It hung heavy in the sky, glowing like a fiery ember. It sat among a variety of clouds, casting shadows along the sidewalk. If there was such a thing as a perfect day, Mai would have been inclined to declare her afternoon as such. Unfortunately, her brain was still spinning from the previous evening, and she could barely afford to think. Every thought that flowed through her mind was muddled and filled with confusion. Naru was the object of her imagination and she was angry to admit it. It was terrible, as she was supposed to meet up with Sadao again. She hoped she could forget for awhile. It would honestly do her some good.

"Taniyama!"

A loud groan slipped through Mai's lips. She had just finished a shift at her work and didn't expect to be disturbed. Sitting along the pavement was far better then dealing with a co-worker or worse, her boss. Currently, she spent most of her hours managing a movie store. She worked up front and organized a variety of films. She had gained the job due to her courses at university and was pretty happy. Of course, that depended on the shift and day. The evenings were just ridiculous, as many couples visited the store and asked for recommendations on romantic movies. That was where Mai's distaste for love stories evolved from. She could hardly stand watching those films, let alone generating an opinion on them.

In distaste, Mai turned towards the individual who had chosen to call her name. As predicted, it was her boss. She was a plump woman with rosy cheeks. That of course, didn't mean she was the incarnation of Santa Claus. The lady was rude, annoying, and had a mean temper. She usually had nothing good to say and often complained. After some time, Mai had gotten used to her, although it took a lot of patience. Mrs. Ojai as she was named, had high expectations. She didn't enjoy being let down.

"Taniyama!" the woman paused to wave her arms frantically, "over here! Pay attention! I've been calling your name for hours!"

"I highly doubt that." Mai muttered under her breath. She didn't move, but continued to stare in Mrs. Ojai's direction. After finishing her shift, she had chosen to wait along the sidewalk, as Sadao was supposed to pick her up. He didn't call, but she knew he would arrive shortly. He always arrived to places unannounced or without permission. Like usual, he would get away with it.

"Mrs. Ojai," Mai said politely after the woman finally reached her, "is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes!" she screamed, nearly spitting in Mai's face, "how many times do I have to tell you that your silly friends are not supposed to call  _my_ phone!"

"What phone?"

Mrs. Ojai rolled her eyes and placed her plump fingers against her waist. She glared at a variety of random people milling about on the sidewalk. That was why she couldn't afford to work at the front of the store. She despised young adults and children. Apparently they created too much noise and commotion. Mai could picture the woman shrieking and complaining for hours about silly little things, like the colour of someone's shirt or haircut.

"The store phone! Some idiot monk decided to call. Taniyama, I don't know what friends you have, but he sounded like a drunk. Do you want to be associated with that? You must know that it's quite disgusting."

Mai groaned again and rolled her eyes. "He's not a drunk."

"Than what is he?" Mrs. Ojai said angrily, "the voice of Christ? Honestly, I've heard better voices in movies than what I heard on the phone. I told him to never call again. I won't have men like that absorbing my money and time."

"I apologize, Mrs. Ojai. I didn't expect to receive a call, especially at work. I promise it won't happen again."

"You promise, do you?" the woman began loudly, "well if it does happen again, I can promise you it will be taken from your pay check."

Mai winced in pain. She didn't like when Mrs. Ojai threatened to remove money from her pay check. School was expensive and the salary she received from the movie store was hardly enough to cover every single cost. In reality, she was extremely poor and could barely afford to pay rent. She worked hard every day and her boss seemed to use that against her. If she slacked off in any shape or form, Mai would pay for it. She had been told countless times the Mrs. Ojai was only training her for the future, but the whole situation was simply foolish. It was a miracle she had kept her job in the first place.

"I understand." she said blankly, running several fingers through her hair, "it won't happen again. I'll make sure he doesn't call the store anymore."

"Good." Mrs. Ojai paused to stare at the traffic. Her business was quite successful, as it was placed in the downtown core. Tokyo was a busy place, and it had tons to offer to tourists and random shoppers. "I'll see you tomorrow. You have a shift in the morning."

"Actually, I don't work until Monday. I have this weekend off."

Her boss only rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You can't expect a woman like me to remember everything. That's what you  _young_  people are for." After speaking, she waddled back to the store, completely ignoring Mai's existence. It was honestly better that way—she would rather be invisible than someone who constantly gathered attention. Living life simply was nice, and she didn't plan on trading what she had anytime soon.

Rather than worry about her boss, Mai chose to stare at the road. Hundreds of vehicles seemed to speed along the pavement. They were nearly a blur in front of her eyes. If she squinted, it was possible to make out a variety of colours within the mess. She saw white, blue, yellow, and black—countless shades and hues that slowly brought a smile to her face. Many people would hate the traffic, but she sort of thought it was nice. It reminded her of old times, when she would laugh and run down the street with her friends. She would have ice cream and count every single red car that zoomed by. It was childish, but that was what made it fun. Sadao had taken her out to tally up vehicles once. He knew what she liked better than anyone in the world. He was more than her partner. He was her friend. That's why she couldn't bring herself to tell him about Naru. He would get hurt in the process.

A miserable sigh slipped through Mai's lips. She would have to tell him soon. He knew about all of her other friends—Hosho, Masako, Ayako, Osamu, and John. In fact, he had tea with them every single month. That of course, was with her permission. After Naru and Lin returned to England, a tradition had been formed. Every month without fail the old crew would get together again. It was sort of like a family reunion, but Mai would never tell anyone that. It was the only time in her life that she got to be with all the people she loved. They had tea in Naru's honour and talked for hours. That was probably why the monk, or in this case Hosho, had called. The big meeting was scheduled for Saturday afternoon and she couldn't be late.

A few months ago she had been held back at work and missed the majority of the event. Since then, every other get-together had been fragmented. Sometimes only two or three people showed up. Mai believed that her one mistake had set a precedent for what was acceptable during every meeting. For the longest time she didn't want to admit that she had changed things. As the meetings continued however, she couldn't remain in the dark. Her small family, the people she thought could do no wrong, were beginning to grow apart. Unfortunately, it had all begun when Naru left. Oddly enough, he had been the glue that had held everyone together.

In thought, Mai kicked a stray rock. She watched it tumble and skip along the pavement beneath her feet. If her family slowly fell apart, she would, without a doubt, blame herself. She couldn't accept an unhappy ending. She had worked so hard to make everything work out. If it failed to meet her expectations—she wouldn't be able to live with herself. Change had always been a good thing, but she refused to believe that it would lead to disaster. Life couldn't be that cruel. Sunshine had to exist within shadow. That was how she survived.

The pebble continued to bounce across the pavement, before coming to a stop against a pair of worn leather shoes. Mai frowned and looked towards the sky. She winced as bright rays of light filtered into her eyes. Sadao stood before her. It appeared as though he had simply materialized in front of her body like some sort of phantom. She obviously knew better than to assume her boyfriend was a ghost, but his appearance was quite odd.

"When did you get here?" Mai asked in an incredulous tone.

Sadao laughed and sent her a brilliant smile. "I walked."

"I thought you said you were going to pick me up?"

"Of course! I haven't done that yet." he stated while fiddling with his fingers, "are you ready?"

Confusion filtered through Mai's veins. His presence was a pretty big indicator that he was going to pick her up. That was the only reason why he chose to arrive at her work. He wanted to take her out and make her smile. Of course, that probably involved a conversation revolving around the phone call, but she wasn't prepared to talk about that. With time, she would find a way to tell him about Naru. She had a few ideas, it would just take some planning to set them in motion.

"I've been ready for awhile. Let's go."

Another grin quickly dominated Sadao's features. "Alright!"

Before Mai could even think, she was flying throughout the air. She shrieked and slapped Sadao in the back. For some reason, he had chosen to toss her over his shoulder. He spun in several circles and laughed loudly, taking amusement in Mai's surprise. He obviously didn't care about the weird looks he gathered from people along the sidewalk. He seemed oblivious to every stare that was directed at his tall frame. All that seemed to matter was how Mai's startled screams turned into delighted giggles.

"Stop!" she said rather breathlessly, continuing to dig her fingertips into Sadao's back, "put me down!"

"Nope. I thought this is what you wanted?"

"No, you idiot! I wanted you to pick me up!"

Sadao stopped twirling and chuckled deeply. Mai could feel his laughter through her chest. A sigh of contentment slipped through her lips. She really couldn't help it. Despite everything, he knew how to make her pain go away. He could read her like an open book.

"I did exactly what you asked. I picked you up."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Do you have to take everything so literally?"

"Of course." he said while gently setting her along the ground, "how would I have any fun?"

"You have enough fun fooling around. Now what is the plan?"

Sadao sighed and wrapped his arms around Mai. He breathed deeply and remained silent, obviously deep in thought. Sometimes, she wished his ideas could been seen throughout the air. She wanted to know what he was thinking. She wanted to know how he worked. He was one of the only people she couldn't read, which was simply annoying. When she thought she had figured out his inner workings, she would be dead wrong. His mind was full of secrets. She desperately wished she could unravel every one of them.

"Well," Sadao said softly, "I'm going to take you somewhere special."

"You said that when we were going to the theatre."

Another laugh exploded throughout the air. "This place is  _really_  special."

"Why?" Mai asked in obvious doubt. She untangled herself from Sadao's arms and sent him a skeptical look. "You must know that I don't believe you."

"How about I show you?"

She considered his words. Usually he tried to make everything a game. It was incredibly difficult attempting to decipher whether he was serious or not. "How far is this  _special place_?"

"A few blocks. We can walk there."

"Okay," Mai said softly, running several fingers through her hair, "take me to your weird place. I'm sure it will be wonderful."

Sadao nodded and held out his hand. It was honestly surprising, the courtesy he exhibited towards her. Normally he would have snatched it without a second thought, but today he took his time. In fact, Mai would say that he was taking everything very slow. Sure, he may have tossed her over his shoulder, but he didn't attempt to touch her affectionately or kiss her in any way. He was trying to gain her trust again, which was very odd. He had a plan up his sleeve. She could almost smell it. While sending Sadao a suspicious look, Mai wrapped her fingers around his own. He squeezed her hand in reassurance before walking forward throughout the city.

"So, why were you sitting outside?" he said thoughtfully.

Mai sighed and shook her head. "I was waiting for you. Believe it or not, you were late."

"I'm never late."

"Well you were this time. You gave Mrs. Ojai the time of day. She started yelling at me again."

Sadao pulled Mai against his hip in order to avoid several children sprinting along the sidewalk. He looked down, his blue eyes quickly meeting her own. "That old hag is still trying to bother you, is she?"

"Apparently." she muttered while wiping some dust from under her eyes, "I don't know what she has against me."

"There are no methods to her madness, Mai. She's just a grumpy old croon. Stay away from her, alright? You don't need her destroying your life."

Mrs. Ojai, despite all of her flaws, was hardly a problem. She was rude and had an atrocious personality, but was far from terrible. Mai had met people who would literally tear your eyes out. Of course, most of those 'people' were ghosts, but she didn't need to tell Sadao that. He knew that she had been involved in the paranormal long ago. In fact, he ceaselessly teased her about it. He didn't really believe in ghosts. She had spent months trying to make him believe otherwise, but nothing could be changed. Those who refused to see did not have the ability to believe. Sadao had seen her deal with a variety of visions, but that had been nearly a year ago. Even then, he had just thought she was dreaming.

"She's hardly a threat. I've had worse." Mai replied in a casual tone, while skipping down the sidewalk.

"Really?" Sadao paused to wiggle his eyebrows, "like me?"

They slowly rounded a corner and Mai rolled her eyes. Sometimes she wished that Sadao would try to speak normally. Any attempt of a conversation always began an ongoing joke. "No, not you. Just other people."

"Right. Mai, can you close your eyes?"

A small scowl formed across her lips. "Why would you want me to do that? I'll crash into something. You know I'm clumsy."

"I got your back," Sadao said while shifting his body to interfere with Mai's line of sight, "we're here."

"You're sure I won't trip or anything?"

"If you did, I wouldn't let you fall." Sadao whispered into her ear.

Mai suppressed a rude retort and allowed Sadao to capture her hand. He pulled her forward slowly, ensuring her feet were flat against the pavement. She closed her eyes and listened very closely. It sounded as if she were walking into a building; the sound of traffic abruptly faded away. If any noises remained, they were quickly muffled by what she assumed were walls. As she moved forward, the ground beneath her feet squeaked. She heard several voices, but they were also incredibly quiet. It was almost annoying how Sadao chose to suddenly become mysterious. He switched personalities constantly and it was impossible to keep tract of which one he wore.

"Can I open my eyes?" she asked in a quiet tone.

"Yes, you most certainly can."

Before Mai could tell Sadao that he was the most confusing person she had ever met, she chose to open her eyes. What she saw was simply breathtaking. It was an old library. The floorboards beneath her feet were old and worn—they were white in some areas and a dark burgundy in others. Wooden staircases twirled up along the walls and nearly reached the ceiling. Books of every sort lined a variety of shelves and decorated the floor. They created a rainbow of colour that was both new and old. Everything about the space was beautiful, and Mai had honestly thought she had stepped back in time. It was like she was in a story book or an old fashioned novel. She wanted to read every book and discover every fairy tale.

"Amazing." Mai muttered under her breath. She quickly walked to a nearby shelf and ran her fingers along the spines of several books. She enjoyed the texture beneath her fingertips and suppressed a squeal of delight.

"Do you like it?" Sadao asked with a worried expression plastered across his face.

Long ago, Mai had detested books. Her tastes had changed however, when she stumbled across what reading could really do. She loved experiencing new worlds and exploring obstacles within her mind. Novels seemed to bring fiction into reality. It was a new way to deal with stress and sadness. On many occasions, she had read in order to remove feelings of self doubt from her mind. Reading, as challenging as it sounded, was a simple miracle. It was a distraction, one she had fallen in love with.

"Like it?" Mai said with a smile glued to her face, "I love it! It's beautiful!"

Sadao laughed out loud. "My parents own this place."

"Really? You never told me that." Mai muttered as she pulled a random book from a shelf. She flipped through several pages, reading the first sentence on every fragment of paper she touched. "Are they here?"

"No. They own this place on the side."

A loud sigh slipped through Mai's lips. Sadao's parents were very wealthy. One was a doctor and the other was a lawyer. No matter what happened, they always had some sort of income. At first, she was hesitant to even associate herself with Sadao. She had a lifestyle that simply contradicted his own. After some time however, she learned that he didn't really care about money in any shape or form. Funny enough, his parent didn't either. They didn't flaunt their wealth at all. When Mai had stepped into their household, she was welcomed with open arms. She was basically an official member of his family. It was a little odd at first, but she had quickly gotten used to it.

"I'd say they made a good choice. Can I take a book? How much does it cost?"

Another grin slid across Sadao's features. "That's the special part. You can take as many books as you want. It's a gift from me to you."

Mai slid the novel in her hands back into the shelf. "I won't let you do that. I'll pay my own way. That's how it has to work."

"You say that every time!" Sadao said before throwing his hands into the air, "can you make an exception once? Please? This is a gift, not charity."

Once before, Sadao's family had attempted to give her money. They wanted to help with her rent, but Mai flat out refused. She would never allow anyone to help her in that kind of way. That was not how life worked. She had to work to get on top, not allow a stranger to give her an all access pass to freedom. Money always helped, but she had to deserve it. There was no way she would accept cash unless she had done something to earn it. The books however, were a different story. If she declined Sadao's offer, his feelings would be hurt. He was after all, only trying to help. Mai had to admit, she was beginning to feel a little better. Perhaps Naru was really just an apparition from the past. Maybe he meant nothing at all.

"Okay." she began slowly, "just this once. I'll accept your gift." Before Sadao could come up with some sort of joke or retort, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. His skin was warm, and she took pleasure knowing that her actions would put a small smile on his face. It was a small thank you, one she could give without feeling some sort of pain. Despite everything, she still felt a little odd from the night before.

"Alright," he said softly, grinning like a fool, "go pick out some books. Remember, you can choose as many as you want."

Mai laughed and began skipping down an old isle. She threw her fingertips in the air and enjoyed the sound of the floorboards beneath her feet. "Can I choose the whole library?"

"How about as many books as you can carry?" Sadao said with a smile.

"Nah. I'll pick as many as  _you_  can carry. You're my slave, after all."

Mai didn't hear his reply, as she had rounded another corner near the back of the store. She pushed away Sadao's voice and focussed on each book surrounding her. It was difficult resisting the urge to snatch every novel that captured her attention, but she was patient. She had to wait for the  _perfect_  novel to come into view. It couldn't be something trivial or childish. It had to be beautiful, but serious at the same time. Mai wanted a novel that could lay upon a table and glitter in the sunlight. She wanted a good story. If anything, she wanted something that could be made into a movie.

Fortunately, the perfect book came into her sight quite quickly. It was placed in the middle of a shelf among an assortment of new novels. It looked out of place, as if it had simply appeared there. That was why she had to pick it up. It was asking to be held between her fingertips. Before she could refuse to pull the book from the shelf, she had it placed in the palms of her hands. It had a faded leather cover, one that had been dyed a deep green. It was patchy and a little worn, but nothing that couldn't be handled with care. In interest, she flipped it over slowly. No title was to be seen. All that could be found were two initials— _E.D._ Mai didn't know what it meant. In order to find a hint to what the name could possibly mean, she pulled the cover open, taking satisfaction in the crinkle of old paper. What she saw was surprising. The book wasn't really a  _book._ It was a journal.

"Interesting." she muttered as she flipped through several papers. Every page was filled with writing. It was an elegant cursive, a hand that seemed to pass the test of time. She traced it with her fingers, admiring every curve and swirl. This book, journal, or whatever it was, had a past. It was something worth keeping. Before she could control herself, Mai had returned to the very first page within the novel. She pushed the book up towards her nose and began to read. The first phrase she saw was worth noting. It was composed of two words, both of which sent a chill of excitement down her back. It simply said  _The Beginning._


	4. Let's Take a Deep Breath

_"You are the sky. Everything else—it's just the weather."  
~Pema Chodron_

* * *

_Chapter Four_

Let's Take a Deep Breath

Tea was delicious. Anyone with a brain, at least in Naru's opinion, had to accept that. Otherwise, the were completely insane or delusional, which was not reasonable in the least. The beverage had a special gift; it had to ability to create happiness. Now Naru wasn't the kind of person to skip and hop around when he felt particularly joyful. In fact, he wouldn't name the kind of happiness he felt as  _joyful._ It was more diluted, like butter stretched across a thin piece of bread. It was satisfactory and he was completely content with that. It was better to feel something instead of nothing. He had been empty for so long—it was nice to simply be okay again.

In thought, he took a sip if his favourite tea: Earl Grey. It slid down his throat, sending shivers of warmth down his back. It truly was the perfect beverage, especially during a rainy day. After picking up the mail in a wet and frenzied hurry, Naru had sprinted into a nearby cafe. It was named  _The Nook_. He thought the title was particularly stupid, but didn't really care in the end. All that mattered was that the place sold tea. As soon as he saw that word written along a random sign, he was sold. It took several minutes in order to receive his tea, as the woman who ran the store seemed to be half deaf, but everything worked out in the end. He eventually found himself sitting at a table, admiring the wet scenery out of a dusty window.

He decided that rain, as wet and cold as it was, had to be better than sun. His reasoning was quite simple; when it was a warm day, every idiot in the world seemed to find a place outdoors. There were the tourists, who found everything down to a pebble or snail remotely interesting. There were women, who seemed to flock like turkeys looking for something to eat. More likely than not, he was their chosen target, which was not at all pleasant. Worst of all, there were children, who never seemed to remain silent. They either screamed or cried, which only served to destroy his eardrums. Cell phones were one thing, but kids—they were the most annoying things in the world and honestly deserved a prize for being so incredibly stupid.

After taking another sip of tea, Naru pulled out his phone. For some reason, it continued to go off randomly. His father would call him, some idiot at the university would call him—every individual who knew his name was trying to call. Personally, he blamed Mai; she was the catalyst to the whole situation. Without his ridiculous dream, he would have never had to use his phone, let alone deal with people wanting to have a heart to heart chat. He couldn't even count how many times he had hung up on some moron asking for advice. Honestly, Naru didn't think he was someone who did that sort of thing. He didn't look like a sappy old fool. He was an introvert and truly wanted every person in the world to go away. It would be better that way. People couldn't deal with his superiority or intelligence anyway.

"Excuse me, sir? Here is the letter opener you asked for. It's a little old, so I apologize. Not many people use those things anymore. My Grandmother tends to collect odds and ends, so we're lucky to have found it."

Naru snatched the metal object from from the woman's hands. He didn't bother looking up. She worked at the store and was related to the owner. She wasn't deaf, just young and utterly naive. Most teenagers were after all. He had once attempted to give adolescents the benefit of the doubt, but that failed completely. Everyday they continued to surprise him. They were an alien species that seemed to plague the earth. At one point, Naru had hoped they would die out, but he wasn't that mean. It was more of a random thought, one which seemed to expand and contract within his mind. With time it would fade from existence.

"Thanks." Naru muttered halfheartedly before waving the girl away. He could almost picture the glare that would decorate her features. She obviously thought he was rude, but like most things, he didn't care. The girl was a child. She hadn't lived or experienced loss. She was as ripe as an apple—with time she would bruise.

After twirling the device between his fingertips, he began attending to the letters he had tossed along the table. It was quite a large pile. They came in various sizes and shapes; if Naru squinted he could clearly see the raindrops that decorated each paper surface. He assumed most of the letters would be destroyed, as he didn't really protect them while he was sprinting to the store. The corners of an assortment of envelopes looked as through they had been dipped in ink. Anything that had been written in pen was either from a fan or acquaintance. He rarely received letter from friends, as Naru liked to believe he didn't have any, and his fans were idiots who thought they could appeal to his better nature simply because they had read his book.

He took a large swig of tea before getting to work. The rain seemed to sing him a little song as he pried apart various envelopes. Most of the letters were crap, just like he had predicted. At one point, he had come across some sort of love letter, but quickly tossed it away. He didn't even want to know who it was from. One document however, abruptly caught his attention. It was in the middle of the pile and looked relatively simple, but of course that was deceiving. After starring at the paper, he swiftly discovered why it had been so odd. It had Mai Taniyama's name all over it.

In confusion, he picked up the letter opener and poked the envelope in disgust. He didn't understand why Mai was suddenly appearing in his life. Five years prior, Naru thought he had gotten rid of her. Apparently that notion was false. First he had received an incredibly terrifying dream and then chose to give her a call. That had been a mistake right off the bat. The girl had been perfectly fine. In fact, it had sounded like she was with somebody. Of course, he didn't care, but he was still annoyed with himself. It was fear that had made him dial her number, not rational thought.

After scowling at his misfortune, Naru chose to open the letter. Whether it was just instinct or impulse, he would never know. As his fingertips touched the paper, his world seemed to spin on its axis. For one thing, all he could see was darkness. It was like someone had suddenly turned out a light. If he stuck out his arms, he knew they would simply fade from his vision. Another thing was that nausea, the worst feeling in the world, abruptly filtered through his veins. It took everything in Naru not to hurl his breakfast all over the floor. He merely groaned and leaned against the table for support. His head spun violently and every time he blinked he could see stars. If he was an idiot, he would have honestly believed he was in space.

"Naru," a familiar voice whispered within the room, "I'm scared."

Another loud groan slipped through his lips. He fought against the desire to puke and merely breathed in and out. He could feel a cold sweat form along his skin. He clenched his fists along the table and sucked in large mouthfuls of air. Everything about Naru's environment seemed to kill him. The tea, the owner, the annoying girl— _everything._ He swore and waited for his vision to clear. It was painful, but eventually light seemed to filter through his eyes again. His tea cup was a little hazy and he could hear rain tap on of the window. When his queasiness seemed to subside, Naru looked up. He didn't like what he saw.

Mai Taniyama, in her petite and frustrating glory, sat across him at the other end of the table. Despite their years apart, she looked very much the same. Her hair continued to curl about her face in a sweet manner. Her eyes were still an extraordinary brown. The only issue was that she was in her pyjamas, which made absolutely no sense. There were only two possible reasons why she could have been sitting in front of him in such a manner. Either Mai was astral projecting, or she was dead. The only time he blacked or got nauseated was when he was having a vision. It was honestly confusing and Naru didn't like it. He had a bad feeling, just like the night of his creepy dream.

"Naru," Mai said again in a terrified voice, "please help me. I'm scared."

Another wave of nausea filtered throughout Naru's body. He gasped, attempting to shake the sensation. Despite his efforts, it wouldn't fade. It remained, just like Mai's silhouette against the cafe table. "Mai," he managed to choke out roughly, "why are you here?"

An expression filled with fear consumed her features. Her gaze shifted around the room, clearly looking for something he couldn't see. "It's coming. I don't know what to do."

For a moment, he ignored everything and simply starred into Mai's eyes. She was honestly terrified. Her pupils were dilated, almost to the extent where no brown could be seen. Her skin was pale, so white that he could see the outline of freckles along her cheeks. Her emotions, which were incredibly intense, seemed to seep into his own. Naru shifted uncomfortably, no longer enjoying his morning at the cafe. He was once again beginning to feel scared, and that was something he couldn't help but despise.

"What is coming?" he rasped quietly, wincing at another shot of pain.

Mai suddenly shifted in her chair and crouched low to the ground. She used the seat as a wall and whimpered in a high pitched tone. "I don't know. It's just  _coming_. Please help me, Naru.  _Please._ "

He didn't enjoy the terror in her voice. It send an unpleasant shiver down his spine. If he had the power, he would take her fear away. He liked it better when she smiled. It was odd to admit, but he enjoyed her laugh. "I can't help if you refuse to speak. Talk to me, Mai. Take a deep breath."

She whimpered again and sent a paranoid look over her shoulder. "I was—" Her words suddenly became slurred. It was like her voice was recorded; it was either miles away or horribly unclear. Any sounds that slipped through her lips became whispers or crackles. He leaned forward, attempting to hear more, but was inhibited due to a huge wave of pain. It was like he had a headache, but someone was screaming in his ear at the same time.

"I can't hear you." he managed to spit out in agony, "you have to speak louder."

Despite his pleas, Mai didn't seem to hear his request. She continued to talk regardless of the disturbing sounds that popped out of her mouth. The only thing Naru could do was remain silent and fight against the nausea that gripped his body. His hands shook along the table in an effort to remain tightly clenched. That was the only way he could stay in control. That was the only way he could maintain sane while his friend chose to speak. If he chose to do otherwise he would vomit or worse, pass out.

"It's coming. Please Naru, I don't know what to do. Help me." Mai whimpered, her voice suddenly becoming clear.

"What is coming? What did you do? Try again, Mai. Tell me what's wrong." Naru said while clutching his head between his fingertips. He was terrified and knew he could do nothing. His visions, no matter how long or short, always ended in a negative way. It took everything in him to prepare for it.

"Help me." she stated, while once again turning to glance over her shoulder. For one second, she froze, her skin becoming a sickly white. She kicked the chair forward and screamed, the pitch of her voice curdling the blood within his veins. " _Help me!"_

With that final statement she vanished, leaving nothing but the echoes of a high pitched wail. Naru remained still; it was impossible to move after what he had experienced. The sound of Mai's shriek was glued to his mind and he could barely think. The nausea and pain that had once plagued his body was gone. All that remained was a faint memory that refused to fade away. He didn't know what to think. There was no way Mai could be dead, but he wasn't too sure. In fact, he wasn't sure of anything at all.

With worry, he shook his head, glancing around the room. Mai's chair was now lying in the centre of the floor, mimicking how he truly felt inside: absolutely dead. The letters that decorated the table had remained in place. They were still damp and the imprints of ink were pressed into the hardwood. His tea, which he could no longer deal with, released steam in light bouts. The pale haze twirled within the air, mixing with tendrils of dust that seemed to hover around lazily. It was far too normal, and Naru couldn't stand the simplicity of it all.

"Excuse me, sir? I'm going to have to ask you to leave. This business doesn't tolerate people who destroy private property."

Naru ignored the girl and peeled Mai's letter off the table. He read the first few words and merely scowled. It had been written two years ago. From what he could decipher, the envelope had gotten misplaced in the mail. It was an unfortunate mistake, but far too coincidental in his opinion. It was a personal invitation to a reunion of sorts, one which contained every individual that used to work within SPR. He wasn't surprised that Mai would have sent him such a thing. What did shock him, was that it had been sent to the university he worked at. It was a wonder that she knew where to send it to, let alone write it in the first place. In frustration, he stuffed the paper in his pocket. It gave him no hint as to what his vision meant. He would have thought it useful, but unfortunately it was not meant to be. It gave him nothing, not even a feeling filled with relief.

"Sir, you have to leave." the young girl said, an expression filled with annoyance consuming her features.

"Fine." Naru spat out angrily, his blood beginning to boil. He gathered the remaining letters and shoved them within his coat. He would have to finish reading them at a later date. All that mattered now was contacting Mai as soon as possible. He couldn't afford to wait. Something was wrong. This time he was sure of it.

"You will have to pay for the chair. It's broken."

Naru didn't stop moving. He continued to collect all of his belongings, before slowly climbing to his feet. Another wave of sickness seemed to embrace his body. In order to avoid falling, he was forced to lean against the edge of the table. An assortment of swear words slipped out of his mouth. His day had been glorious, right up to the point where Mai had chosen to stomp all over it. The whole situation was infuriating and he wasn't sure whether it was due to fear or the fact that she was involved.

"Sir—"

"Put it on my credit card." Naru hissed before moving away from the chair. He walked out of the building, ditching his beautiful cup of Earl Grey tea. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing, except one important thing. Before slipping into the rain, he reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his faded black phone. It was time he made another call.


	5. Farewell My Friends

_"Angry people are not always wise."  
~_ Jane Austen

* * *

  _Chapter Five_

Farewell, My Friends

Mai was usually a happy person. On most occasions she smiled, releasing bliss as if it were a type of perfume you could buy in a store. People wanted to be full of laughter; they wanted to be glad. They looked at her in jealously, simply because she had the ability to wear a grin. Of course, she didn't know why she was particularly joyful all of the time. She supposed it was because of everyone else on earth. So many people—children, mothers, and fathers; they seeped sadness like some sort of disease. Mai didn't want to be a person who carried the burdens of the world. No, she only desired to be content for one reason: to help others smile. Unfortunately that motto, as pure and kind as it was, had the ability to backfire drastically. She had to learn the hard way.

Currently, Mai was perched within a lonely cafe somewhere within Tokyo's downtown core. It was raining, and she had chosen to sit in a booth along the edge of a giant window. She liked watching the rain smack and explode against the sidewalk; she could almost imagine a group of ants screaming and running for cover. It was an amusing thought, but one which failed to create happiness in the slightest. Even the smell of coffee, which slowly wafted up Mai's nose, wasn't enough to lift her spirits. Her reasoning was quite simple; it was the day of the reunion and no one had decided to show. She had been sitting in the cafe for nearly an hour waiting for _somebody_ , just _one_ friend to stop by. She wasn't lucky in the slightest. None of her friends had arrived.

In thought, Mai slid her empty tea cup across across the table. She used one finger to poke at the thick glass until it collided with a chunky container of sugar. The Earl Grey she had ordered was long gone; all that remained was a sour taste in her mouth. It wasn't her favourite brand of tea at all. She was more of a peppermint kind of person. She enjoyed beverages that surprised her taste buds and made them tingle in satisfaction. The beverage she had ordered—it didn't do much. Then again, she wasn't drinking it for her own enjoyment. She was drinking it in honour of Naru. It was his favourite kind of tea. Mai knew; she had been forced to make it all of the time.

At the thought of the man, she began to cry. Tears slid down her cheeks in small streams, pooling around several freckles on the edge of her nose. He had been the start of things, and now he was the end. It was his fault that everything had to change. If he had stayed, if Naru had been the man he said he was, she would still be surrounded by family. It would have been a weird one, but it was _something_ rather than nothing. At his departure, everyone had faded away and Mai couldn't help but feel like he was to blame. She was left alone and had no one to smile for. Perhaps that was why she had chosen to cry; she could truly be herself.

In annoyance, Mai wiped away her tears. She grabbed a nearby napkin and blew her nose. It was almost painful, but she wished Sadao could have been by her side. He would have known what to say. He would have known what to do. Regrettably, he was unable to come to the reunion, as he had to work. If he had, things may have been different. She could have been blinded by his humour and kindness, rather than a form of depression that refused to fade away. Life would have been brighter for a few moments. She wouldn't have to deal with her obvious denial—her friends, as old and timeless as they had once been, were mere shadows of the past. It was time to say goodbye. It was time to let them go.

Mai crumpled up the napkin and tossed it along the table. She fumbled for her purse and began scavenging through its contents. After several moments she retrieved three things: a faded ball-point pen, her phone, and the journal which Sadao had only bought her the night before. For some reason, she couldn't go anywhere without the book. It simply had to go with her. The object had become an attachment or a new limb—without it she felt naked, bare towards the world. The phone on the other-hand, was out on the table for no particular reason. Mai had grabbed it in order to make space at the base of her purse. She needed to reach the pen some way or another. She had a purpose for it, one she had been ignoring for quite awhile. Before she could change her mind, Mai sucked in a deep breath and pulled the cap off the pen. She snatched a nearby napkin and jotted down three words: _Farewell, my friends._

It was a note, a message she hoped her friends would find if they ever arrived at the cafe. By that point she would be gone, and it would serve as a goodbye. It wasn't a particularly good one, but it would serve its purpose. There wasn't anything else Mai could do. It wasn't like she could close her eyes and wish for her friends to appear. She had done that millions of times and nothing had happened at all. If she had a fairy godmother, the woman was failing at her job drastically.

A sigh slipped through Mai's lips. She tossed the pen back in her bag and once again remained silent. This is where she had to make a choice. She could either leave the cafe in a tear-filled hurry, or remain in her seat, waiting for the moment her friends would walk through the door. Of course, her decision had been made long before she finished her cup of tea; she would wait until noon. That was the time when she would finally leave everything behind. It was currently eleven thirty, so her old crew had some time left to make an appearance. It was difficult to give them the benefit of the doubt, but they had time.

Mai sniffled, once again reaching up to wipe her nose. She had to stop crying. It was against her nature to release tears in an unwanted mess. In reality, she would rather smile than just sob like an immature child. She didn't want to be a reflection of the weather. That would just turn her into some contrived female character from a silly novel. If there was anything she hated, it was a cliche.

With her mind set, she reached out for the faded journal. It was after all, a kind of book. It would have the ability to deter her mind—pull away the sadness that suddenly plagued her body. Reading would create a safe haven, one that would be just for her. Mai sucked in a deep breath and pulled the journal toward her face. Several tears fell of the first page, curling the paper. She quickly rubbed the water away, taking great care that it didn't smudge any ink. After that she began to read, falling into the words as if they were written just for her.

* * *

_Tuesday, March 2, 1973: The Beginning_

_I'm not writing in this piece of crap to tell you my story. Want to know why? I hate journals_ — _no, I despise them. They are a disgusting mess where women seep out their blood, sweat, and tears. I don't want to be one of those people. I don't want to be one of those women. I'm better than that. In fact, I'm better than half the women on this planet. Why? I don't whine about my shitty life. I don't cry about what I've had to experience, because let me tell you, it's been one hell of a ride. Want to know the fun part? It's not even over. My mess isn't even over, and now I have to spit it out to you. Like I said, I don't write in journals. I don't deal with diaries like I'm some sort of princess. I'm only doing this because I was told to._

_Now here comes the fun part; I was told to by some sort of doctor. I don't know what he specializes in, but whatever it is, I don't want anything to do with it. Why? Because I've seen enough to last a life time. I know enough to last me a life time. There are things in this world you can't erase from your mind. There's no going back in time and changing your mind. There is nothing you can do to avoid fate. Now let me tell you something: if fate exists, it's complete shit. Why? Because it made you read this book._

_Reader, whoever you are, this is a warning. Don't turn the page. Don't flip it over. Do yourself a favour, and put this piece of crap right back where you found it. I told you that I wasn't going to tell you my story. Unfortunately, I don't have a choice. I never did. Save yourself before it's too late. Otherwise, you will become a hateful woman like me. Believe me, you don't want that. It will scare you, more than anything you will ever find or experience in this book._

_E.D._

* * *

Mai finally breathed. She sucked in a mouthful of oxygen like it was water on a scorching hot day. She wanted to know who had owned the journal. She wanted to know the woman who had scribbled along the pages like it was the only option she had left. There were so many things she wanted to understand that it literally made her head spin. In thought, she rans her fingers along the page, memorizing every dent and nook that was present within the paper. It was difficult to tell whether the warning was completely serious or not. It sounded fake, but Mai couldn't tell whether that was her instinct or heart talking. She _really_ wanted to keep reading. Her fingertips itched with the need to turn the page. It was almost scary how much she was compelled to continue. She just _had_ to. Nothing would make sense if she didn't.

Before she could regret it, Mai reached forward, pinching the paper between her fingertips. She bent it to the side, slowly peeling it over in order to gain a glimpse of the hand-writing on the next page. Unfortunately, before she could read, her phone began to ring. It seemed to scream along the table, demanding her attention like a two-year old child. A loud sigh slipped through her lips. She didn't know who it was at all. It could have been anyone, but at the moment, Mai didn't care. In the back of her mind she wished it would be Hosho, but she doubted that entirely.

She quickly snatched her phone and flipped it open, taking great care not to smash it against the side of her head. "Hello?"

"Mai, where are you?"

Pain flared in her chest. It was Naru, the man—no, the _idiot_ who had destroyed everything as soon as he had walked out of her life. She didn't know why he had called. She didn't know why he continued to call. His sudden presence was annoying. For one thing, it disrupted her reading, which was abominable. It also served to literally tear her heart out. Rather than move forward, she was stuck living in the background. She didn't want to be in the past. It was tiring attempting to figure out Naru's motives. At this point in her life she had other things to worry about. It was difficult to admit, but it was time to move on. Her failure in the cafe was slowly teaching her that.

"Mai?" Naru asked on the other end of the line, "I need to know where you are."

"That's none of your business." She ground out in a defeated tone. She starred out the window, slowly deciding how to handle the situation.

"I don't have time to deal with one of your ridiculous mood swings. Just answer my question. I need to get this conversation over with." Naru hissed loudly, his voice blaring out of the phone.

In order to survive the sudden onslaught on noise, Mai was forced to hold the phone a meter away from her ear. She scowled at his statement, wondering why he was in such a terrible state of mind. She didn't do anything to deserve his cruelty. She would know; Naru had dropped off the face of the earth for five years. He didn't know anything about her—he didn't even know what she looked like. His behaviour was unwarranted and she couldn't stand the suspense of it.

"I'm in a cafe." She spat out, once again returning the device to hear ear. "Why do you have to know?"

"Go home. Don't touch anything, don't look at anything—" he paused, contemplating something within his head. "don't even move. Call Hosho; I will talk to you again shortly."

Mai had to admit, Naru was acting incredibly weird. It really made no sense; he was basically asking her to disappear. She wanted to know why he seemed suddenly concerned for her well-being. He had never before. Sure, he might have cared for her safety long ago, but his actions were incredibly questionable now. A loud sigh slipped through her lips. It was almost noon and she felt as if she could fall asleep. It was unnatural. In fact, everything was unnatural.

"I have to work." Mai lied, knowing her response would annoy Naru on some subconscious level. It was funny how she knew him so well.

"Quit. It's not like they need you anyway."

Shock filtered through Mai's veins. She couldn't believe how rude Naru could be. There were so many things she wanted to do to him. One of which was to punch him in the face. "Why should I do _anything_ you ask? You have given me no reason to listen to you, let alone quit my job. Who do you think I am? Just because you decide to call doesn't give you any power over me."

"Stop trying to be a genius, Mai. Didn't I tell you that before?" Naru said in a frustrated tone.

"Do you want me to hang up the phone? Believe me, I will if I don't get any answers."

Like usual, Naru chose to ignore any of her questions. "Did you dream of anything odd last night, Mai? Anything at all?"

A yawn slipped through her lips. She starred at the window and literally cursed Naru's stupidity. Despite his level of intelligence, he had the ability to be a compete and utter fool. A conversation worked in only one way; two people had to talk. Having a chat was worthless if only one person did the talking. Currently, that was what Naru had chosen to do. He was a stubborn person in his own ridiculous way. Unfortunately, Mai was too. She could play his game. She could pretend to ignore him, shoving her own words down his throat. Maybe that way he could finally understand how she felt; confused, angry, and annoyed.

"No, I didn't have any weird dreams," Mai began to say, "but that's besides the point. I've had a really bad morning. I'm not in the mood to deal with your cryptic behaviour. If you want to talk to me, I suggest calling at a later time. Unfortunately, I know that you _don't_ really want to talk to me, so maybe you shouldn't call at all."

"That's rude and unnecessary, Mai." Naru stated in a blank tone.

Her heart pounded in her chest. A part of her couldn't believe what she was doing. Yesterday she would never have thought of throwing Naru away, but today was a different story. For the first time, she wanted him to feel alone. She wanted him to wonder whether he was good enough for somebody. She wanted Naru to look in the mirror and really _look_ at himself. Apart of her knew she was being mean, but maybe he would change.

"If you want to help me, just do as I ask."

"I'm _trying_ to help you." Naru growled in an angry tone. "I wouldn't have called for any other reason."

That was surprising. Mai's heart almost fluttered in her chest. "How are you trying to help me?" She paused, waiting for him to reply. Oddly enough, he remained silent. "Naru? Are you there?" Despite her pleas, his voice seemed to have vanished. All that remained were odd whispers and crackles. He was talking, but it was like his voice had been stretched over a long distance. She could make out some words, but most of it seemed like pure nonsense. It was almost like another language. It certainly wasn't English or Japanese.

"Hello?" Mai asked again, standing up and walking around the cafe. There was a chance that the reception cut out, but she knew that had to be unlikely. He phone was in good condition—it didn't randomly stop working if a connection got bad. In frustration, she pulled the device away from her ear. She flipped it over in her hands, pausing to tap the screen. Nothing appeared to get it going again. It was frozen, completely out of life. A scowl dusted Mai's features; she couldn't believe her luck. Before she gave up, she called Naru's name again. He still didn't answer. All that could be heard was random crackles and pops.

In defeat, Mai chose to hang up. There was nothing she could do. Perhaps the author of the journal was right; if fate existed, it was a terrible thing. It pulled you away from reality and the people you loved. At the thought of the book, she chose to return to the table. She snatched her purse, tossing her useless phone into its depths. Naru would call again. He always had to have the last word. During the phone call, he had gotten away with nothing, which was hardly satisfactory.

A pained sigh slipped through her lips as she starred at the note along the surface of the table. She reached forward and traced it with her fingertips, hoping it would be found. If so, she would be alright. She could live knowing her friends saw her simple goodbye. Mai frowned grimly and pulled her fingers away. She glanced at the journal, admiring its appearance within the cafe. It really did seem to glitter in the light. It may have been a rainy, but it still shone nonetheless. It was beautiful, and she was really happy it had been found. She had a feeling it was going to be an addicting read.

At that thought, Mai picked the journal up, balancing it between her hands. After sliding it beneath her coat, she then walked out the door, allowing rain drops to wash over her skin. She had a choice, unlike the woman who had wrote the faded green book. Despite everything, even the water falling from the sky, she was going to keep on reading.

 

 


	6. Are You Afraid of the Dark?

_"Regrets collect like old friends"  
_ ~Florence and the Machine

* * *

 

_Chapter Six_

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Hosho never ran. No, he was far more civilized than that. On most occasions he chose to walk in a dignified manner, one that suggested he was important or simply awesome. Of course, today that practice had to change. For the first time in years, he was literally running for his life. His feet moved at a drastic pace against the pavement outdoors. It didn't matter if a puddle, person, or vehicle got in his way; he would continue to sprint despite the rampant downpour. Hosho chose to do so for one reason: he was late. Mai was waiting for him at some random cafe, and he was _late_. That failure, as noticeable and regrettable as it was, had many implications, ones which he didn't want to think about. He had never been late to any meeting. He wouldn't forgive himself if he was. The last time that had happened was months ago, and none of his other friends decided to show up. Mai had been in a saddened state of mind, and he couldn't bare to see her in that way any longer. He couldn't break her heart. She was a daughter to him; anything more would be utterly despicable.

"Watch out!" He shouted at an angry looking man as he zipped down the sidewalk. He bumped into the guy's shoulder before continuing on his way. Luckily he barely registered the impact. It didn't matter. The only thing of concern was Mai Taniyama. Hosho could picture her in his mind; a sobbing girl with tears running down her face. She looked a little younger of course, but the fact still remained: she was going to be upset. He had promised to remain along her side when no one else could keep her standing. He had _promised_ and now he was watching his vow slip into the dirt like the water falling from above.

Swear words popped out of his mouth as the cafe came into sight. It looked like it was closed, which had to be impossible. It was only just past noon. He prayed it was just the rain blurring his vision. There had to be lights on within the building. Anything otherwise would mean that he ran for nothing. Hosho scowled and wiped his face. The movement did nothing to remove the water that dripped down his forehead and cheeks. It was raining far too hard; he was practically drenched. If he had any other choice, a taxi would have drove him to Mai's location. Unfortunately, he didn't have one, which made his day terribly wet.

"I _hate_ rain." Hosho wheezed under his breath as the cafe door came into sight. Before long, he had the handle clasped between his fingertips. He wasted no time pulling the door open and stepping inside. The cafe was open; that much was obvious. Several people sat around with coffee cups cradled between their hands. Others chose to contemplate life silently and read a book or newspaper. From what he could tell, it was a very laid-back business. He could see why Mai had chosen it for their meeting.

"Sir, is there something I can help you with?"

Hosho groaned and turned to face the owner of the voice. It was a middle aged woman who obviously worked at the restaurant. She reminded him of Ayako, which only served to make his heart ache. A loud sigh slipped through his lips. While running a hand through his hair, he looked around the cafe attempting to find an empty table. He was certain Mai would have sat somewhere that was now devoid of life. He knew she was no longer in the restaurant, and that was entirely unforgivable. When he found her again, she would be an angry wreak. He had broken his promise.

"Uh, yeah." Hosho managed to say breathlessly. "Who sat there?" He pointed towards an empty table in the corner of the room. It was away from a window; the only remaining life was a steaming cup of coffee that was half full. It looked like something Mai would do, but despite his positivity the scene looked questionable. His friend had never really been a coffee person. Sure, she had the odd cup, but more likely than not, she enjoyed tea.

The waitress followed his instructions and starred at the table. For a moment she remained silent in concentration. "Well," she began in a gentle tone, "if I can recall, an old man sat there."

He couldn't help but laugh. "No, that's not who I'm looking for."

"Oh, my apologies. Can you tell me anything else about the person you're looking for?"

Another loud sigh slipped through Hosho's lips. He looked around the cafe again, a sad frown quickly consuming his features. There were plenty of empty tables, all of which Mai could have possibly sat at. It would take forever to find her previous location without any help. If he tried, he would just look like some sort of idiot. No one in their right mind would just walk though a restaurant in order to find a _table_. The idea of such a thing was incredibly ridiculous, so much that Hosho couldn't help but laugh again.

"A young lady. She's about this high," he paused to illustrate her height with a hand, "has short brown hair, bright eyes, and a brilliant smile."

"That's quite the description. I can't account for the smile, but a woman like that sat over there by the window." As the waitress spoke, she pointed towards a table along the left side of the room. An assortment of items were displayed across its surface, most of which were tissues. There was also a small tea cup, which had a remainder of liquid lodged within its depths.

Before Hosho could think, he was walking forward, pulling the waitress with him. "You said you couldn't see a smile?"

The waitress seemed surprised, but allowed herself to be guided towards the table. "Yes. If you want my opinion on the whole situation, she appeared to be crying. Perhaps there was a break up? I did see her on the phone as well."

A frown consumed Hosho's features. He knew for a fact that Sadao hadn't broken up with Mai. He wasn't the kind of guy to do that through a phone call, let alone in a random cafe. He was too nice for such a thing. His friend was probably crying for another reason. Unfortunately he knew exactly why. As he reached the table, he looked around, scanning its surface for some sort of evidence that Mai had been around. As he glanced at the hardwood, his body froze. His eyes found a napkin, one which was decorated in a fine print. He knew the writing; it was ingrained within his skull. When he worked at SPR, he had often read Naru's files, most of which were written in the same clear hand. He knew Mai did all the paperwork. That's how he knew the tissue had once been clenched between her fingertips.

"What is it?" The waitress whispered in his ear.

"A note." He replied before gently picking the napkin up. He appraised the message and simply scowled. It was a goodbye. He knew—he had written something like it awhile back. Unfortunately it wasn't dedicated to a group of people. To him, it had been meant for only one.

"Oh, dear. Is the woman suicidal?"

Hosho crumpled the tissue and shoved it into a nearby pocket. "No, only a little sad."

"How awful." As the waitress spoke, she patted his shoulder, trying to give him some form of comfort. "Is there anything I can do?"

In contemplation, Hosho slid into Mai's previous seat. He ran his hands along the table, somehow enjoying the sensation of wood beneath his fingertips. It was obvious as to why she had been crying, but the thing that had put him off was the phone call. He had difficulty imagining who might have attempted to do such a thing. It pained him, but he had to find out. Otherwise his head would be left spinning for the rest of the day. He couldn't accept that. More likely than not, he would receive a giant headache due to the mess. It would be best if he gave Mai a visit. That way he could as her about two things: the note and the call.

After making that decision, Hosho reached toward the window and snatched Mai's tea cup. As predicted, liquid was still present within its depths. It sloshed around, staining the pale glass a soft gold. It was distracting, and he couldn't help but carefully twirl the cup in circles several times. It almost put a smile on his face, but luckily he wasn't that naive or childish. He had bruised Mai's heart and couldn't forgive himself.

"Sir, is there anything I can do?" The waitress said again.

Hosho looked up and sighed. He glanced at the cup before gently placing it in her hands. "I'll have a cup of Earl Grey."

* * *

Shadows danced across Mai's vision, although not in the way one would expect. If she focused on the television, book, or simply the rain outdoors, a dark hue of some sort would zoom across her peripheral vision. She had never experienced such a thing before, especially within her cozy apartment. It wasn't scary, but as the sun started to disappear, she was no longer sure. After running from the cafe, she had returned to her home, prepared to have a day indoors. She didn't give Sadao a call; he was supposed to visit her Sunday afternoon. If she did chose to dial his number and have a chat, she was certain he would talk about the meeting. He would ask about her friends, and Mai wasn't prepared to deal with that. She was still recovering from her actions. If she was to be perfectly honest, she regretted writing the note. When she thought about it now, it had been an immature decision. Naru on the other-hand, had tortured her mind, so she didn't know what was worse. No—calling Sadao would be a horrid decision. He could wait one day.

In thought, Mai adjusted her position on her sofa. She didn't want to look down any halls. For some reason her eyes went weird in those areas. The shadows seemed to get worse and she couldn't tell if her mind was playing tricks on her. She had to blink several times to make sure she wasn't going insane. Of course she wasn't, but the idea still bounced around within her head. She supposed it was the dramatic part of herself talking. Her day wouldn't be complete if she didn't think she was going crazy in one way or another.

After becoming accustomed to her new position, Mai chose to look out the window. It was still raining; fat water drops slid down the window lazily. Some moved fast, others moved slow—in order to distract herself, she pretended they were racing. It was a game she had imagined as a child and often played on her own. Unfortunately her diversion failed. Mai suppressed a surprised shriek as another dark blob moved across the edge of her vision. She rubbed her eyes and sighed miserably. Her apartment wasn't supposed to be a scary place, but today it had to be. If the sun was out, everything was bound to brighten up. She hadn't checked the forecast, but had a feeling the weather would be satisfactory again. It couldn't rain for two days. If it did, she wouldn't know what to think, let alone do.

A weary sigh slipped through her lips. She blinked rapidly again, dispelling any oddities with her vision. Rather than worry about the weather, she chose to do something entirely productive. Reaching over to a small coffee table, she snatched the faded green journal. It had been placed there after her return from the cafe, and Mai was having difficulty resisting it. She wanted to read one passage a day, but doing so was a challenge. If it was possible, she would read it all of the time. Her hands literally ached with the need to turn a page. She had flexed them repeatedly, but nothing seemed to work. She concluded that reading another page would be a good thing. It would serve to distract her and give her something to think about other than Naru, Sadao, and the failure of a meeting.

With her mind set, Mai opened the book, a feeling of calm descending over her body. She ran her fingers across the first page. Taking a deep breath, she peeled it over, revealing the second. It looked very similar to the first. Elegant hand-writing danced across the page in a symphony of black and white. It curled delicately; the author, whose initials remained, appeared to take her time. In Mai's opinion, the journal was a piece of art. It deserved to be incased in glass or displayed within a wooden shelf. It looked best between her fingertips, but she wouldn't tell anyone that. She liked the feeling of the leather, faded paper, and the smell of ink. It was perfect, and she couldn't help but start to read.

* * *

_Monday, March 8, 1973_

_I didn't want to write in this thing again. As you can see, I avoided it for five days. As far as I'm concerned, it isn't effective in the least. Bad—no, terrible things have continued to happen. If I had a choice I would tell you, but that is not to be. It must be in perfect order. That is what I have been told. I would have quickly done otherwise, but as I have said before, it's not meant to be._

_Do you believe in darkness? Here's a good question: are you afraid of the dark? If not, you should be. That's how it begins. Five months ago, my family moved into a house. I've been told the move has nothing to do with it, but I have my doubts. I don't believe in oddities as my husband names them, but as of late I am inclined to do so. Why? After moving I began to see shadows. At first they seemed harmless, something purely from my imagination. They would sneak around objects and flash around my peripheral vision. Like I said, I thought nothing of it. They were just shadows, fragments of darkness caused by light. At least that was what they were supposed to be._

_It was my children who mentioned them first. They weren't afraid; just curious at to what they believed was real. I told them it was their imagination. When I think back, I know I was really talking to myself. I didn't want to see them. I didn't want to accept that they were there. I was completely terrified, fearful of what may have come to pass._

_Despite my urges, my children began to speak oddly. They would tell me about the shadows and how they moved. From what I was told, they would touch books, toys,—anything that could be brought to different rooms in the house. If a room was filled with light, a spot of darkness would remain on the ground. Such small changes meant nothing to me. Nothing of course, until I began to notice the changes as well. My first experience was with a pair of earrings. After waking up one morning, I found that they had vanished from my jewellery box. Later in the afternoon, I found one on the dining room table, and another in the dead centre of a carpet in my living room. At a party, one went missing from my ear. I know it sounds mundane, but I felt someone pull it out._

_This experience, trivial in nature, was the start of everything. I never saw anything the same again. The shadows became more prominent and my children were fearful. I didn't know what it meant. My husband was ignorant and I felt as though I had to be as well. Believe me, I didn't want to be. If I had a choice I would have screamed in the man's face. If there was one time he needed to listen it was then. Unfortunately, he remained unsupportive. I was forced to take on the brunt of my children's terror. If you want my opinion on the situation, I'll tell you: that was the beginning of the end._

_E.D._

* * *

Mai snapped the journal closed and gently placed it along the coffee table. She looked around her apartment wearily, almost laughing at her own behaviour. She knew books could be creepy, but this one had to be the most eerie of them all. She did of course enjoy the odd scary story, but she had to admit, she was a little frightened. The thing that disturbed her the most was the segment depicting the shadows. Like the woman had said, she could see them with the corner of her eyes. It was obviously some sort of giant coincidence, but Mai had difficulty shaking it off. With worry, she snatched a nearby blanket and draped it over her immobile form. She remained still along the couch, starring at the rain as if it could suddenly turn into diamonds. She literally refused to see anything else.

Time passed slowly and Mai could feel her eyelids slowly droop shut. It felt as though she was carrying the weight of the world along her shoulders. She could hear everything; the creak of the floorboards, the splash of water against the window, and the faint whisper of wind. She did not however, hear the small clatter of her jewelry box slamming shut, or the faint clink of two earrings falling on the table and floor.


	7. No Time To Kill

_"Not all those who wander are lost."  
_ ~J.R.R. Tolkien

* * *

_Chapter Seven_

No Time To Kill

Naru was dying, not in the literal sense, but in a manner associated with fatigue. He was sprawled across his couch; one leg was slung over the top of the sofa, while the other somehow touched the ground. His arms were stretched out like the wings of a butterfly, occasionally brushing against a pillow or a book. Normally, he would never do such a thing, but the rules were different in his own home. He could do whatever he wanted. Of course, that had its own boundaries, but no one had to know. His life, as simple and mundane as it was, had a privacy setting. He wasn't planning on changing it any time soon. Everything was fine the way it was. Naru was certain other people thought differently, but he didn't care. He was an adult. He could control his own fate. Well, at least he thought he could. Things were beginning to change, and he wasn't too sure anymore.

A groan slipped through his lips as he adjusted his position along the couch. He ran a hand through his messy black hair, wondering why his work at the university tormented his soul. Normally paranormal research was interesting, but lately it failed to stimulate him in the slightest. Perhaps that was due to his wondering mind. He couldn't help but think of Japan and the fiery girl who lived there. Ever since the last phone call, he couldn't help but wonder whether Mai had gotten herself in trouble. She seemed normal enough with her insults and ridiculous mood swings, but behind that he could sense that something was off _._ It was like visiting a lake during a sweltering hot day. In the distance, maybe miles away, you knew there was a shoreline of some sort. Due to the humidity however, it couldn't be seen. Despite the clouds, sky, and everything that seemed remotely distracting, you knew it was there.

If Naru had a choice, he would have ignored the situation all together. Unfortunately, he didn't have the ability to. With his gifts, anything remotely paranormal literally seemed to punch him in the face. It didn't matter if he plugged his ears, or closed his eyes—ignoring it was impossible. He had tried, and that only served to cause more trouble. For instance, he was currently attempting to pretend that the issue didn't exist. He had worked all day imagining that Mai was a person that didn't matter in the slightest. His efforts failed. Naru didn't know why, but everything—random conversations, colleagues, books, television adds—seemed to scream her name. He saw her everywhere in the smallest of things and it was driving him insane.

He pulled his fingers away from his head, and sighed deeply. He had only one choice. It was obvious—nearly clear as day. He would continue ignoring everything and everyone. That was the only was he could continue living his private life. The people that called him were of no importance. The letters he received in the mail were of little consequence. His parents, two people in the world that refused to leave him alone, could slowly fade into the background. It was all possible. Naru just had to continuing trying. That was after all, how success was created.

In determination, he shook his head and reached for the television remote. His efforts would all begin with a small bought of reality. Television may kill brain cells, but it did one thing right: create a wonderful distraction. If he wanted, he could stare at the screen for hours, literally rotting inside. Everything he saw on the small screen—the weather, news, advertisements for shampoo, stupid jingles promoting gum—it would take away the annoyance her felt inside. His pain would fade away, all due to an invention he shared a passionate love-hate relationship with. A snort slipped thorough Naru's lips as he turned the television on. For some reason, some foolish melodrama popped up on screen. A child was starring at a bag of chips as if it were a bar of gold. Before he could change the channel, he listened to what the kid had to say. If it was any other day, he would have listened to his better judgement. Unfortunately, his mind was dulled.

" _May_ I have—" Naru changed the channel, ignoring the dull buzz of the television screen. It had happened again. The name 'Mai', despite the different spelling and pronunciation, had some how assaulted his senses. He bit his lip, ignoring the frustration that pooled within his chest. He just wanted her to go away. She brought back memories that were almost painful. He knew for certain, as a faint headache was beginning to plague his brain. In agony, he starred at the television again, hoping something of relative interest would be displayed on screen. It was the news channel. Two people, a man and woman, were sitting in front of a table. They were talking, and it took everything for Naru to listen to what they had to say.

"Looks like rain in the central London area this evening." The man said with a bright grin, his teeth glittering in the fake light. "I'm told by Doug that the weather _may_ improve tomorrow—" The channel changed again. Naru continued to click the remote several times before landing on a historical documentary. It looked interesting, something that couldn't possibly contain Mai's name in the least. Before he could go insane, he focused on the show, wishing his brain would just turn off. By the looks of things, a narrator was talking about the French Revolution. He had a thick accent, one which could have possibly been Australian or Scottish. Naru didn't think it suited the mood of the piece, but in the end he didn't care.

"A meeting of the Estates-General was called upon by Louis XVI in Versailles to discuss and approve a new tax plan, on _May_ 5, 1789."

Panic filled Naru's veins. He clicked the remote again, shaking his head. What he was hearing was not Mai's name. That was impossible. He believed in coincidence, but what he was experiencing was far more intense than that. It was _real_. He diverted his attention on the television, quickly analyzing the horror movie that played on screen. It was a random film, probably something that had no purpose but to scare teenagers. It didn't look very clever. In all honesty it looked like a waste of time.

" _My_ God!" The female lead screamed in a high pitched tone. "The killer is coming—" Before she could finish speaking, Naru changed the channel again. Instead of remaining on one show, he continued clicking the remote. The screen flashed before his eyes, slowly turning his black and white world into something filled with colour. All the images he saw blurred together; they no longer resembled reality in the slightest. He saw a bar of toothpaste, a car, a little girl smiling, a dog—so many pictures that meant nothing. All that mattered were the words, the small clips of noise that somehow oozed out of the television screen.

" _My_ goodness, don't speak in such a way darling—"

"NO! I'm going to keep _my_ god damned—" The television crackled, suddenly releasing a onslaught of static, before continuing to follow Naru's commands. He continued clicking the remote, pressing the button as it was his last hope.

" _My_ oh _my_ , it's a wonderful day—"

"Let's learn how to say microscopic! Say it with me, _mi—"_ With the speed of some sort of animal, Naru turned the television off. He slammed the remote on the table, his hands literally quivering with frustration. He cursed fate. He swore at the world. It didn't matter what he did; his life would never be simple. It was tied around Mai. Like some sort of toddler, she had twisted herself around his legs. It wouldn't be surprising if he suddenly fell on his face. If Naru had thought any better, he would have believed he was already sprawled along the ground. That was what she did to him—made him feel like he was falling.

Before he could regret it, Naru threw himself off the couch and practically ran to a nearby closet. He threw it open, quickly locating a faded black jacket. As he slid it on, his brain ran at one hundred miles per hour. He was planning. Five hours before—no, days before—he would never have considered finding Mai again. Now, everything had changed. Paranormal things always happened in a specific order. First he had received a god-awful dream, one which continued to send shivers down his spine. Afterwards, Taniyama had somehow appeared in a cafe. Naru still couldn't comprehend what her appearance had meant. The stupidity that occurred today just baffled his mind; he had heard Mai's name everywhere and didn't know what to think. Fortunately he had decided to do. It would all begin with paying a visit to Lin.

Naru snatched his keys and quickly hurried out the door. It didn't take very long to reach his car; it was parked in an excellent position alongside the road. It was easily accessible, which should have placed a smile on his face. Unfortunately it only served to elevate his frustrations. He blamed it on Mai. The woman, girl, whatever she was, had the ability to make his head spin. It was incredibly rare, but was happening nonetheless. He just wished it would end. Naru breathed uneasily and placed the key within the ignition. Before he could think, it appeared as though he was parked in front of Lin's home.

He glanced out the window, taking the opportunity to appraise his friends home. It was a quaint cottage built in an older district of London. In Naru's opinion it was like looking within the pages of a story book. The house was a picture of fiction somehow living within reality. It was worth writing about. In the past, an author could have glanced at the windows and marvelled at how the light filtered across the cobblestones. It was awe-inspiring, but fortunately he wasn't the kind of person to fall victim to such small beauties. He had business, a goal in mind that could no longer be controlled by rational thought.

A pained sigh slipped though Naru's lips as he exited his vehicle. He slammed the door shut and quickly walked towards the front door. Before he could knock however, it was suddenly thrown open. In order to survive the abrupt onslaught of light, he threw an arm over his face, wincing as a dull throb of pain assaulted his senses. It appeared as though his headache remained. Despite driving and walking in the open air, it refused to dissipate. It was a sign of stress, one he utterly despised. If he had a choice, he would have rather cut his finger than deal with the sharp blasts of agony seeping into his skull.

"Madoka—"

"Expecting someone else?" Naru managed to spit out before pushing past Lin and walking into the house. He didn't bother kicking off his shoes. What he had to say was far too important. His friend would understand; he was a good judge of character despite his crusty exterior.

"Oliver? What are you doing here so late? Don't you know it's rude to suddenly walk into another person's home?" Lin questioned in a serious tone. In spite of Naru's behaviour, he shut the door softly. He only sighed loudly, obviously cursing his unfortunate luck.

"I would apologize, but I don't have time. I need to speak with you."

"You have made that quite obvious." Lin replied, starring deep into Naru's eyes. Concern flashed across his features briefly, forcing a frown to appear along his face. "What happened? You look terrible."

"I never look terrible." Naru managed to say as he flopped down on a nearby couch. He ran several fingers through his hair, trying to find the right words to say. Unfortunately they didn't come. His mouth was dry and his head continued to pound painfully. It didn't feel like a normal headache, but he wasn't about to tell Lin that.

"Well you do today. What happened?" He asked again, finally choosing to sit on a faded brown chair. "Don't avoid telling me—I'll know if you're lying."

"I'm going to Japan." Naru said in a blank tone. After some thought, he had decided that there was only one way to meet Lin's ridiculous criteria. It was rather simple. All he had to do was spit out what he planned to do. That would lead to less questions, and in turn his happiness, which was incredibly difficult to achieve. He doubted that visiting a different nation would suddenly improve his feelings, but he had to try. That was the only way Mai would leave his head once and for all.

" _What?_ " Lin managed to say in a shocked voice. "When did you decide this?"

"This evening. I wasn't going to tell you, but in the end I believed it would be a good idea." He replied casually, slowing crossing his legs.

" _A good idea?_ When did you suddenly think that going to Japan would be a good idea, Oliver?"

A loud sigh slipped through Naru's lips. "Today. I thought I told you that?"

Lin remained silent. He was obviously wondering if Naru had gone completely insane. Of course his thoughts were understandable. Nobody in their right mind randomly decided to travel hundreds of miles for no reason. Japan was a country that contained many memories, some of which were sad, happy, and dramatic. It was a place filled with images of the past. Naru, if he had any sort of rational thought, would have run screaming from the idea of returning to that place. Unfortunately, any form of rational thought that remained in his head had vanished due to Mai's foolishness.

"Give me a good reason why you want to go back there." Lin snapped angrily, looking at Naru as if he were a mere insect. "It isn't because of _her_ is it?"

In order to remain calm, he breathed deeply. A small lie was already forming within his head. All he had to do was let it out, and Lin would leave the subject of Mai alone. He never talked about other people if he could; the man believed it was completely rude. It was of course, but Naru never lived by that code. Fortunately his friend did, which meant one thing: he could use it against him. That would solve his problems. That would make his life easier for a moment.

"There is a parapsychology conference in that area this year. I would like to attend."

"Your father mentioned that to you months ago. If I recall, you refused his invitation." Lin said in a frustrated tone. He leaned forward in the chair, his hands resting along the top of his knees. Occasionally his fingers would move erratically; they tapped out a song only he could hear.

"I reconsidered his offer." Naru asked quietly. He closed his eyes briefly, fighting against the pain that wreaking havoc within his head. He wanted the conversation to end. That way he could return to his apartment and lie down. Maybe he would sleep for once. Ever since his creepy dream, he remained awake, his eyes refusing to close.

"You have no reason to attend a conference of that scale." Lin managed to say after several moments. "People will see you—they will remember what happened. Your brother was all over the news, Oliver. You will be recognized. If that happens, who knows what danger you could be in. You're safe in Britain."

"I have to go there. I don't have time to wait."

The expression on Lin's face darkened. "You have no reason—"

"He's lying, Lin. I thought you could tell?" A voice interrupted in an amused tone.

Naru suppressed a giant groan. He wearily glanced towards the door, his insides screaming at the person that was standing beside it. If there was one person he couldn't lie to, it was Madoka Mori. She could smell falsehoods as if they were some sort of baked good. He could tell; the large grin that stretched across her face revealed everything she thought. The expression, as simple as it was, sent shivers of annoyance down his spine. He knew everything he had worked towards would come to an end. The woman would rip open his insides and seek the truth. She would make him spit out the real reason why he wanted to travel to Japan. Madoka was a teacher. She knew how to pull his strings.

"Don't tell me I disrupted your date." Naru said blankly. He sent a glare towards the door way, suddenly wishing his mentor could disappear.

"Do you always have to be so rude?" Madoka said with another smile. She walked into the room and quickly settled into a chair next to Lin. "I thought I taught you better."

"You're the rude one. You just interrupted a private conversation. If you taught me anything, it was to ignore people who couldn't mind their own business."

A laugh slipped through Madoka's lips. She rolled her eyes and sent a sympathetic look in Lin's direction. "I can mind my own business, but not when people chose to mislead their friends. Tell him the truth, Oliver. At this point we both know you have other reasons for going to Japan. I know about the phone call, and I know just by looking at your face that something is wrong."

Annoyance filtered through Naru's veins. "You're the problem Madoka. I know you're smart enough to figure that out."

It was Lin who spoke next. His voice was calm, but carried a hint of anger that couldn't be ignored. It was like a spark; as it interacted with the air it became a flame, one that destroyed everything in its path. It was a warning, a piece of information that Naru couldn't ignore. If there was anything he didn't want to do, it was experience Lin's wrath.

"Enough. You came here to talk to me and I expect to hear the truth. Anything else and I will ask you to leave. I've done it before and I'll do it again."

A large scowl consumed Naru's features. He had no choice. If he refused to speak, Lin would do something unbearable. He suspected that is would involve his parents, which would literally be worse than death. If they discovered his intentions, he would be unable to travel for years. Since Gene's death, they refused to allow him to wonder around without a guide of some sort. His mother and father were possessive and didn't know when to back off. In order to save himself, Naru had moved out of his old home and changed his phone number. He didn't want his parents attention. He didn't need to be reminded of what was lost. It was better if he chose to remain alone. That way he could remain detached from the world and the pain it created.

"I haven't been sleeping." Naru began in a blank voice. "Want to know why?"

"Yes, Oliver, I really do. What to you think I have been doing for fifteen minutes? Asking you for a cup of tea?"

Naru met Lin's gaze and suppressed another frown. He refused to look at Madoka as she was the cause of the whole mess. Without her, there would have been no need to describe his real intentions. He could have continued speaking about some ridiculous conference he never planned to attend in the first place. That would have made his whole life easier. For a moment, he could have bathed in relief. Now he was forced to speak about a subject that secretly drove him insane. Before he could convince himself otherwise, Naru told Lin the truth. He spoke about the dream and his vision, conveniently leaving out anything to do with hearing Mai's name. His reason was simple; he didn't want to sound insane. The rest of the story was weird enough without it. In fact, his whole experience sounded like something that could be written in a novel. It was certainly pathetic enough to be placed in some popular teen book.

"You had a vision? Doesn't that mean Mai is dead?" Madoka asked in a worried tone.

"I'm not certain. She could have astral-projected without knowing it. From what I know, she has never attempted to control her gifts."

"So you didn't decide to call Mai Taniyama on a whim." Lin stated thoughtfully, his eyes glistening with concern. "You called in order to see if she was alive."

Naru released an annoyed sigh. "Yes. What do you think I was doing?"

"It sounded like you were doing something stupid." Lin remarked darkly, before shaking his head. "Oliver, I'm sorry to say, but even if you did travel to Japan your parents would likely interfere."

"I am aware of that."

A confused expression appeared on Lin's face. "Than what did you plan to do?"

Madoka began to laugh loudly. Every giggle that slipped through her lips bounced off the walls and danced around Naru's head. "Lin, don't you see what he's trying to do? He's asking you for _help_."

Naru remained silent. He glared at Madoka and cursed the smug grin that decorated her features. Despite everything she was right. In his own weird and abnormal way, he was asking for help. He would never actually _ask_ however, as his pride got in the way. His actions spoke more loudly than his words, so he wasn't surprised that one person in the room understood what his sudden arrival meant. Unfortunately it had to be Madoka. She would ceaselessly tease him for the rest of his life, all because she knew one terrible thing—Naru, despite his callousness, had the ability to feel something for another person. It may have been concern, but it didn't matter. Madoka obviously thought his actions were romantic in some shape or form. The thought of Mai in that way sent shivers down his spine.

"See?" Madoka sang in a happy voice, "he _is_ asking you for help."

Lin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. He looked hesitant, but as time passed the expression faded away. "I believe you, Oliver. I know you want to go to Japan, but all is ask is that you sleep on it. Maybe you will change your mind."

It was obvious as to why Lin wanted Naru to reconsider his sudden decision. His visions had a tendency to end badly, and that was certainly the case with Gene. He had previously travelled to Japan to find a body, rather than his living and breathing brother. For all he knew, Mai Taniyama could already be buried in a ditch somewhere. If he chose to remain in Britain, he could avoid another potential catastrophe. Unfortunately he didn't plan on changing his mind. He had a feeling Mai would haunt him if he refused to jump on a plane and do something rather than nothing. He didn't after all, have visions for no reason.

"What if I don't change my mind?" Naru questioned slowly, meeting Lin's grey gaze. He continued to ignore Madoka, as the the satisfied grin that dominated her mouth refused to fade. She acted like a star, constantly glowing despite the darkness that crept along her skin.

"Than you tell me everything in complete detail tomorrow. I know you left something out." Lin paused, frowning as Naru failed to suppress an obvious grimace. "After that, we can deal with your parents. I know you're looking forward to that."

Naru rubbed his forehead and sighed miserably. Lin's sarcastic statement had literally filled his body with dread. He hadn't seen his parents in over a month. Telling them about his impending trip would be akin to death. They would, without a doubt, treat him like a century old monument. Despite everything, they enjoyed putting him in a cage. No one could touch him, talk to him, or see him—simply because he was _fragile._ His parents acted like he was the living incarnation of Gene and it was unbearable. Returning to Japan was one thing, but his mother and father were another. Avoiding them would be difficult.

In pain, Naru rubbed his forehead again. He ignored Lin's last statement and looked toward the kitchen. He could see the edges of a cupboard and a window. Every once in awhile a car would zoom by, shedding light on the wooden surface. It was a simple thing and for some reason it managed to take some stress away. He could feel it fall off his body like glittering armour. In a way, he had fought an inner battle. It may have been a small one, but it still inflicted damage. Naru knew—that's why he had a killer headache.

"Lin, I need a Tylenol." He said plainly, leaning back against the faded leather couch.

"Use your manners, Oliver." Madoka muttered under her breath. Despite the tone of her voice, she continued to smile. "What did I teach you so long ago?"

Naru couldn't help but grin in return. It was basically invisible, but he knew she could see it. "Like I said, if you taught me anything, it was to ignore people who couldn't mind their own business."

 

 


	8. More Frightening Than Death

_"Sleep did not honour me with it's presence."  
_ ~Alysha Speer

* * *

 

_Chapter Eight_

More Frightening Than Death

Mai was dead tired. Being sleepy was one thing, but being exhausted to the point of muscle failure was something else entirely. If 'zombie' suddenly became the new catch phrase for what she felt inside, that would be a good thing. Normally she cursed the idiocy of teenagers, but today she made an exemption for that personal rule. She was _really_ tired. Nothing mattered except the woozy ache in her bones and the faint headache that danced across her temples. If it was a Friday afternoon, she would have sprinted to the couch, grabbed a pillow, and called it a day. Unfortunately, it was not a cloudy Friday afternoon. No—it was Sunday evening and Mai had already attempted to sleep all day. Of course, her efforts failed. The reason was rather obvious. It was sitting on her coffee table.

In a sleepy sort of way, Mai sent a glare at the old green book. The last journal entry had freaked her out at a level she hadn't anticipated. Yesterday evening and for most of the night, she had seen shadows slither around the corners of her room. They were nearly unnoticeable, but the longer they remained, the more obvious they became. Some shadows stretched along the floorboards, while others hid in the most concerning places; those of which no light thrived. After fighting with her sanity, Mai had moved into her room, taking refuge under her sheets. She felt like a child, but living alone could be terrifying. For awhile she lay sprawled along her mattress. Sleep would come and go, but she would only dream of being awake. If not that, than things she couldn't remember. When morning came, everything seemed to disappear. Life felt normal again. It was difficult to tell whether she had dreamed up the whole journal issue in the first place.

After her foolish experience, repetitive cups of coffee became her salvation. With every drink she felt relieved and more alive than she had felt before. Mai was no longer a zombie, but a human suffering from severe fatigue. She would live, although suffer from the consequences. There was a chance she could fall asleep while chatting with Sadao, but that was better than seeing shadows. Anything was better than seeing things you couldn't explain. Sure, she loved the paranormal, but this was stretching her boundaries of what was acceptable in her life. She didn't have time to deal with oddities or weirdness within her own home. She was a student for God's sake. There was work that had to be done.

At the thought of university, Mai groaned loudly. She had a sociology lecture tomorrow morning. It wouldn't be boring, just incredibly difficult to live through. While suffering from sleep deprivation she would have difficulty focusing on the professor. Writing notes would become a challenge and she didn't want to depend on her friends. In frustration, Mai pinched the bridge of her nose. She was beginning to hate the journal. It was messing with her mind. Oddly enough, she couldn't tell whether it was all a reality. There was a chance the shadows were just a figment if her imagination. Perhaps the book didn't even exist.

Like some sort of hawk, Mai sent another weary glance at the journal along the table. It sat along the varnished wood, softly shimmering in the sunlight. It looked normal enough. It didn't look frightening, just incredibly mundane. If any other person had walked into the room they would surely snatch the book without a second thought. Like always, it appeared to be a good read. In fact, the journal was so tantalizing that Mai had difficulty stopping herself from scanning over another passage. All night she had remained awake, occasionally fighting the urge to pick the bloody thing up. Her fingers would twitch, her body would shake—every symptom that indicated addiction would flare up all over her body. The funny thing was that Mai didn't feel like she was _addicted_ to anything. She just couldn't help it. Reading the book was a necessity. Otherwise something terrible would happen.

Mai sighed and shifted her body toward the window. She didn't want to read the journal again. It was too worrisome and only served to freak her out. For now, she would attempt to enjoy her Sunday afternoon. She would take pleasure in the sunlight filtering throughout the window, rather then the rain. She would forget about her experience at the cafe and move on. That was after all, how life had to be lived.

Before Mai could pursue her plans however, she heard a faint shuffling along the floorboards. It was faint, but she could detect it. The wood creaked every few seconds, sending jolts of fear down her spine. She didn't want to turn around. She didn't want to see who stood behind her. If Mai did she wasn't sure what would happen. When the floor squeaked again, she bit her lip to keep from crying out. Time passed slowly and she couldn't do anything. Every second the footsteps got closer her heart would explode within her chest. She felt terrible—so scared that breathing no longer became an option. She remained silent, holding in any air that remained within her chest. She only heard the creaking, the incessant squeaks that nearly drove her insane.

Something touched her shoulder and Mai couldn't help but scream. When she heard laughter however, her helpless shrieking came to a stop. It sounded extremely familiar, so much that she abrupt forced herself to turn around. What she saw was incredibly frustrating. Sadao, in his magnificent glory, stood in front of her prone form. He was snorting like an ingrown pig. A large grin stretched across his face in a devious manner, one which sent waves of fury slithering down Mai's skin. He had slipped through her doorway as if he owned her very home. He never knocked, never made an indication of his presence. Sadao merely walked into her living room and chose to scare the living crap out of her. It was unforgivable.

In a fit of rage, Mai angrily slapped Sadao's shoulder. She hit him several times, releasing the stress that had slowly accumulated within her veins. Despite her actions, his laughter never seemed to stop. His voice became horse and the snorts that slid between his lips became raspy whispers. He somehow grabbed Mai's hands and pinned them against her chest. Sadao then wrapped his arms around her shoulders, ignoring her loud protests. With the kind but gentle strength of a bear, he pulled her into a hug.

"You can stop punching me now." He chuckled in a light tone. "I only had a little fun."

"Fun?" Mai managed to say against Sadao's cotton shirt, "How is scaring someone fun? I thought I was being attacked. I could of had a heart attack or something."

"You lived. Why else would you try to kill me with your fists?"

Another angry groan popped out of Mai's mouth. She tried to move, but Sadao had a very tight grip. It didn't look like he planned to let go any time soon. "I can't breathe."

He laughed again. "You're being dramatic. Of course you can."

Mai stopped struggling. It would be pointless, as Sadao was a giant compared to her petite form. He was strong as well, which only proved her point. His hug was like being caught in some sort of fly trap. The more you pulled and tugged, the more you were caught within its embrace. It was best to ride out the experience. That way it ended in a swift and probable manner.

"No, I really can't breathe." Mai changed her voice, making it sound as though she was suffocating. "I'm going to die."

A loud sigh slipped through Sadao's lips. "Do I really have to let go?"

"Yes. If you need some help, just envision that scene from Titanic. You're Rose and I'm Jack."

"Oh, so you want to reenact a scene? Don't you think that one is a little sad? If you're Jack, that means you end up dying."

"Yeah, but you end up letting me go in the end." Mai said blankly, once again attempting to move pathetically. She managed to shift an inch to the left, but that was it. "That's what I want."

Sadao groaned and tightened his grip along Mai's body. He breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of her hair. "I like you right here."

"That's because you're a pervert."

In a way, a very small one that is, her words were true. Mai's body, every single piece of it, was pressed against Sadao's tall form. She could feel every word that slipped out of his mouth. Each phrase seemed to echo throughout his chest, slowly becoming apart of her own. His lips occasionally brushed against her neck, which slowly drove her insane. If he got any closer he would become apart of her. He was almost like a puzzle piece. That thought slammed Mai's heart against her chest. She was certain he could feel it beating, fluttering at a rapid pace. It was like a humming bird had somehow found its way into her chest cavity. It would crash and flutter about every time Sadao touched her in any way. She was certain he knew—there was only one reason why he would chuckle in a seemingly seductive way.

"Is that a bad thing?" He said softly, his eyes slowly rising to meet her own. Mai met his gaze steadily, surprised by what she saw. Adoration, in its most pure and perfect form, swam within his bright blue eyes. It was so intense, so mind-numbing, that her breath hitched. She cared for Sadao, but wasn't ready to deal with what she saw. It was odd; instinct wanted her to throw herself at him, but rational thought said otherwise. Her body wanted one thing, but her mind wanted another. It was a difficult concept.

"I don't know." Mai managed to whisper, wincing at the disappointment that filtered through Sadao's eyes.

"I see." He slowly released her, his hands hesitantly leaving her body.

Mai was thankful. Despite everything, he always seemed to understand her feelings. He would never push her into doing something she wasn't ready for. Suddenly dealing with the weight of the situation, she sank to the floor, falling onto the hardwood with a pathetic flop. Fatigue hit her again in waves. She wanted to succumb to the sensation, fall into an ocean of senseless dreams. Unfortunately Mai knew that wasn't a possibility—not with the journal starring her in the face.

"Are you alright?" Sadao asked in a concerned tone. "You seem off."

Another groan slipped through her lips. "I'm Jack remember? I just sank into the ocean because you ditched me."

"I didn't ditch you. If I recall, you wanted me to let go."

"Well, _Rose_ ," Mai said sarcastically, pausing to place emphasis on the character's name, "you really ditched me just to save your own skin. There was tons of room on that bloody piece of wood. All you had to do was move to the right a bit. I would have lived."

"Always so incredibly blunt." Sadao said with a small grin. "When will you hold back on me?"

"Never." Mai replied while lying on the floor. She glanced up at the journal again, scowling when she felt the impulse to suddenly read it. She silently wondered when she would be able to have some peace.

Sadao shifted on the couch, moving so his face dangled off the edge. He examined Mai's face, frowning at what he saw. "You look tired."

"That's because I am." She said glumly, tracing the lines present within the floorboards. They twirled delicately, weaving in and out like a pair of dancers. It was such a simple thing, but Mai could find the beauty in it. She could locate the beauty in anything if she tried. She somehow thought the journal was attractive. Now that seemed like a foolish notion, one a child would conjure within their mind. Mai didn't want to be a kid.

"Can't sleep?" Sadao asked quietly.

"Apparently not."

Sadao reached out to play with a strand of Mai's hair. He shifted it around, weaving it between his fingertips like a ribbon. "How about we watch a movie? You might be able to get some sleep."

Mai considered his suggestion. A film would be a great distraction from the journal. She would have to focus on a plot, rather than something that plagued her own life. Sadao would act as a form of protection from the shadows that slithered around her home. His idea, as simple as it was, projected perfection. He was right—maybe she would get some sleep. Using his shoulder as a head rest would be a bonus, not to mention a comfort.

"Sure. I'll take anything right now."

Sadao nodded and headed towards a nearby shelf. It was filled with a collection of films, most of which were completely random. When a store had a sale, Mai would buy every single movie available. She usually knew which ones were crap, so she only purchased films which had some sort of reputation. Her romance section was non-existent, but every genre remained from action to mystery.

"So what kind of movie do you want to watch? I'm definitely in the mood for a—" A small crunch interrupted his speech. In confusion, Sadao looked down toward the ground, specifically at his sock-clad toes. He bent over, slowly lifting his foot in order to pick up what was hidden beneath it. For a moment, his features were filled with remorse. The object pinched between his fingertips was small, so tiny that Mai had difficulty distinguishing what it was. When Sadao walked over and deposited the item into her hands, she finally understood.

"Sorry about the earring. I didn't realize it was on the ground." He said in a sorrowful tone, quickly returning to the movies. "Like I was saying, I'm in the mood for something filled with horror. What do you think?"

Mai could only nod dumbly; she was far too concerned with the little earring Sadao had slipped onto her palm. It was a simple silver stud, nothing too flashy. She had purchased it at a random store somewhere downtown. Fortunately, that didn't matter. The fact was that it wasn't supposed to be on her living room floor. The last place she recalled putting it was in her jewellery box. That box was on a shelf located within her bedroom, far away from her previous position. In shock, she moved the accessory closer to her eyes, barely registering Sadao in the background. Something was wrong about the situation. It seemed familiar in a really abnormal way. Mai was afraid of realizing why.

"There! I picked one!" Sadao said happily, quickly returning to the couch. "You'll just have to wait to see what it is!"

Mai didn't care what film was now playing on the television. All she cared about was the earring pinched between her fingers. With fear, she tilted her head to the left, starring at her dining room table. Her apartment wasn't that large, so she had a decent view of the hardwood. Even in the fading light she could distinguish a faint gleam of silver. It could have been a failure of sight on her part, but Mai wasn't too sure. In a panic, she snapped her eyes shut, ignoring Sadao and the introductory credits that rolled on screen. Silence stretched within the corners of her mind and she couldn't afford to think. Something was wrong. She could taste it on the back of her tongue. Like acid it burned at the back of her mouth, instilling a form of fear that was nauseating.

In what felt like slow motion, Mai opened her eyes, once again starring at the coffee table. Her gaze landed on the green journal, which was a huge mistake. In an instant, her fingers began to twitch with an incessant need that she couldn't describe. Her heart pounded in her chest, leaping within her throat like a caged bird. She wanted to read the book. Something within her, she didn't know what, craved to look over another entry. With every breath she took, Mai inched forwards slowly, reaching out toward the book she officially despised. It was like she was possessed. She didn't want to read the journal, but someone did. That someone was unknown to her. They were in her, controlling her movements as if she were some monstrous beast.

In order to control herself, Mai grabbed Sadao's arm. If he spoke, she didn't hear a word he said. She was too concerned with the journal and the feelings scattered across her body. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to look away and focus on the television. That only served to create another mistake. A shadow, more dark than anything she had ever seen before, loomed over the screen. It completely blurred the movie, making it impossible to see what was happening. Mai attempted to suck in another gulp of oxygen, but failed. She noiselessly gasped and choked on the air like a fish. She had been scared before, but this was an entirely different sensation. What she felt was pure terror. She didn't know why, but it felt familiar, almost like it was something from a dream. It slid from the back of her mind and busted through her consciousness like a bus. She wanted to run.

"Hey, it's not that scary." Sadao whispered distantly, lightly patting Mai's arm.

There was no way she could respond to his comment. Her eyes were glued to the shadow, the apparition that suddenly decided to appear within her home. It continued to hover over the television. Mai was surprised that Sadao couldn't see it. The dark mass was right in front of his face and he failed to notice it at all. That fact only made everything more disturbing. Releasing his arm, she began to lean forward again. The journal was a temptation she couldn't control. She had to read it. Waiting a moment longer would make another shadow appear or worse, make the one near the small screen move closer.

Biting her lip, Mai quickly snatched the journal along the table. Sadao glanced at her for a moment, but brushed off her activities as a mere act of fear. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she returned to the couch, whispering something that was supposed to elicit comfort. Unfortunately, Mai didn't hear anything again. She was too busy sucking back her fear. She starred at the journal, her fingers shaking like leaves. A battle was raging inside of her body, one which would result in the opening or closing of the book. She tried to shut her eyes, but failed, as the shadow was beginning to creep along the floor in a snake-like manner. Like she had predicted, it was moving closer, forcing her to make a move. Gasping for air, she pulled open the old journal. Pages crinkled beneath her fingertips, but she couldn't hear them, not between the screams that echoed inside of her head. She couldn't resist the book, not this time.

When she looked down, the entry along the paper appeared to be smaller than the others. It was written in a frenzied manner, echoing the feelings that raged inside of her body. The date seemed normal and the ink was in pristine condition. Everything appeared to be perfectly normal. Mai now knew that was a lie. The perfect appearance of the journal disguised something incredibly evil. While holding the book, she could feel darkness ooze between her fingertips like syrup. She didn't know how she missed it before. It was so obvious. Due to her error however, Mai was trapped. Like some sort of bug, she was tangled in the web of something much greater. She was going to pay a price.

* * *

_Wednesday, March 10, 1973_

_Two days have passed since my last journal entry. I am saddened to say that the condition of my family continues to deteriorate. My children are still fearful and my husband continues to surround himself with ignorance. I'm only just beginning to wake up. You see, I have discovered something about the shadows. Perhaps I failed to mention it before—ignoring the creatures increases the speed in which they appear. If you are wise dear reader, do not imagine that their existence is a mere trick of the mind. Believe me, that is futile._

_After seeing shadows, the 'illusions' as my husband calls them, do not stop. Nothing comes to a conclusion when the shadows appear. They are only the beginning. After two or three days—the time depends on your denial and utter refusal to accept the truth—the voices arrive. Oh yes, voices. They begin as whispers, simple utterances that appear to be apart of a delusion. They become apart of your very being and scream inside of your head._

_Surprisingly, my husband was the first victim of this new development. He began walking around aimlessly, muttering words in useless concession. He fell apart slowly, his mind scattering along the floorboards like my children's toys. I really think he deserved it. He left me alone to comfort my children in their time of need. He broke his vow—abandoned me when I needed him the most._

_Unfortunately, I had no room for hate. The voices began to find me. I don't know when my children fell victim to them, for I was absorbed in my own nightmare. I was trapped inside of my mind, caged like some sort of bird. If you want the truth, I can't remember anything. All I know is that when I woke up, I was greeted to something more frightening than death._

_E.D._

* * *

The book fell from Mai's fingers and landed on the floor with a thump. Sadao said something again, but this time she chose to ignore him. After reading the journal entry, she had made a startling revelation. For some reason, the book was personally addressing her. The author, E.D, had written each passage with the expectation that they would be examined in detail. If Mai was thinking correctly, that wasn't supposed to occur. Journals were created with the intention of not being read or discovered at all.

Before she could even think, Mai threw herself off the couch, untangling Sadao's arm from her shoulder. Fear lurched in her stomach as she sprinted to the kitchen table. She barely avoided the shadow, wincing as a tendril of black brushed against her arm. For a moment a deep chill settled over her body. It was almost as if she had jumping into a pool of ice. From head to toe she was being submerged in freezing water—it was a miracle she continued to run.

"Mai!" Sadao suddenly yelled, his face twisted in concern. "The movie just started! Where are you going?"

She ignored him again, knocking over a chair as she reached the table. When she saw what was on its surface, her breathed hitched. Stunned, Mai opened the palm of her left hand and dropped the earring along the faded hardwood. There, shining in the pale light, was its match. Days before, maybe even hours, a journal entry had depicted an occurrence that was eerily similar. In fact, she would say it was exactly the same. E.D had misplaced a pair of earrings. When she thought all was lost, they had been found in the centre of a table and the middle of a floor. It wasn't a coincidence. It couldn't be. Mai was experiencing something entirely real.

"You're scaring me." Sadao said, his hand suddenly landing on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

A pained winced consumed Mai's features. She shuffled away from his hand, her gaze wearily gazing into the corner of the living room. There, the shadow continued to hover in place. It seemed to stare into her soul, cleaving away her heart and everything that remained. Her arm still felt cold from her previous encounter, so much that she wanted to put it under something warm.

"Hey, Mai." Sadao said again as he briefly shook her shoulder. "Does this have anything to do with the meeting? Talk to me here."

For a moment, everything became clear again. She turned away from the shadow, slowly realizing she had been holding her breath. "What meeting?"

"The one with Hosho and the gang. Don't tell me you forgot."

Mai forced herself to meet Sadao's bright blue gaze. His eyes were filled with worry and she was genuinely surprised. It was difficult to understand why he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He was in the same space as her, yet he failed to notice the shadow in any shape or form. He only chose to ask her about the failed meeting, something that had happened ages ago. At this point in time, it didn't seem important. Unfortunately, she couldn't delude herself. Mai knew it was. Like a wound, the thought of the meeting festered within her mind, swelling with the intensity of a balloon.

"The meeting went fine." She lied, suddenly pointing toward the door. "How about we go for a walk? I'm not really in the mood for a movie."

"I thought you were tired?"

"I'm okay for now. I just need to get out of here."

Suspicion filled Sadao's gaze. He watched Mai closely, slowly reaching up to brush a tendril of her hair. He was thinking about the sincerity of her words. The man was too clever to discard the fact that she was lying. Luckily he was kind enough to keep that fact to himself. A deep sigh slipped through his lips before he began to speak. "Alright. I'll grab your jacket and you can turn off the movie."

"No!" Mai nearly shouted. As he actions sunk in, her cheeks flared in embarrassment. "No, just leave it on. There's no need to turn it off. It's just sitting there—"

"Wasting power?" Sadao interrupted with a frown.

"Yes—I mean no." She corrected quickly, walking over to a nearby closet. "It's just music to my ears."

"Screaming is music to your ears? I have to say that's pretty interesting."

For a moment, a scowl stretched across Mai's mouth. As she pulled on her jacket and snatched her keys, her brain ran at one hundred mile per hour. The truth was relatively simple: she didn't want to turn off the television because the shadow was near it, not to mention the journal. If she returned to her living room, impulse would force her to pick the book up. She didn't want to do that; not after what she had discovered.

"Yeah, well people can't help what they like."

"Wouldn't that make you a psychopath?"

Mai pulled open her apartment door and forced a grin to decorate her face. "Don't judge a person by their cover."

Sadao manage to laugh although it sounded strained. He was obviously concerned with her behaviour. Before stepping through the door, he looked back at the apartment several times, his mouth twisting into an undeniable frown. Mai normally didn't like when he looked abnormally serious, but right now she didn't care. She needed to create some distance between herself, the journal, and the shadows. That was the only way she could gain some sort of sanity.

"I suppose you're right." Sadao said slowly, finally walking through the apartment door. "Where do you want to go?"

Mai slammed the door roughly, shutting away her fears. When relief slowly trickled across her skin, she breathed deeply, finally filling her lungs with fresh, uncontaminated air. "Anywhere."

As Sadao guided her down the hall, his voice once again fading away, Mai was able to think. When the journal had slipped from her fingertips and cracked against the hardwood floor, she had come to one brittle conclusion. She didn't want to believe it at first, but in the end had no choice. The remaining earring had confirmed her suspicions. Every time she read a passage from the book, every time she touched the cursed journal—the unbelievable would occur. The story would come to life. Whatever had haunted E.D. was now tormenting her. Mai's life was now running behind an imaginary clock. If she didn't think fast or try to figure anything out, tomorrow morning she would be greeted with something more frightening than death.


	9. Time to Play

_"Fear cuts deeper than swords."  
_ ~George R.R. Martin

* * *

 

_Chapter Nine_

Time to Play

"Wake up!"

Mai groaned and slapped her friend on the shoulder. She couldn't remember who was sitting beside her, but in the end she really didn't care. Sleep pulled at her consciousness. It tugged at her sanity and slowly pulled her apart at the seams. It was so bad, but felt incredibly good inside. She wasn't going to refuse the sensation anytime soon. Dreams were a significantly better alternative than her crazy life.

"You seriously need to wake up, Mai. The professor is looking right at you. He's walking—oh God, he's coming toward us! Wake up!"

A pen roughly jabbed her in the face. Mai gasped in surprise, swatting a hand at her friend again. "Cut it out," she managed to hiss between yawns, "I'm trying to have a nap."

"Well your little nap is disturbing my class, Miss Taniyama."

In about three seconds flat, Mai was wide awake. She tried to smile, but it quickly turned into a pained grimace. Her professor, an old wrinkled toad, was staring at her disapprovingly. It was obvious as to why; somehow she was laying across two seats. Despite how uncomfortable it may have looked, Mai was really content. Her feelings however, were not reciprocated. Her professor looked like he wanted to rip her head off.

"Mr. Hamasaki!" Mai managed to splutter in a joyous tone. "It's so wonderful to see you! Forgive me, but I totally forgot how great your beard looked."

The professor frowned before slowly adjusting his glasses. Mai didn't like how they seemed to glitter in the light. "Is there a particular reason as to why you have chosen to sleep during this lecture? Please honour me with a ridiculous excuse because I would love to hear one, Miss Taniyama."

"Unfortunately I'm not that great at public speaking," Mai said as she looked up into the crowd. The lecture hall was definitely small compared to others she had been in, but that didn't matter in the end. She would still have to talk.

"That's funny," her professor began, "you didn't have a problem with that while you were sleeping. I'm certain your snores could be heard from a mile away."

"My apologies, Professor. I wasn't aware that I sounded like a fire engine."

A few laughs echoed within the room. Mai couldn't help but crack a small grin. Her lack of sleep was obviously beginning to drive her insane. On any normal occasion, she would have remained silent during lecture. It was a form of respect. Of course, she had to destroy that ideal by choosing to sleep. A small sigh slipped through her lips. She blamed the shadows and the whispers that haunted her at night. They never gave her any peace.

"Are you aware that I don't deal with students who chose to blatantly disrespect both the teacher and the environment in which they learn?"

Mai ran a hand through her hair. She barely suppressed a wince. Just by touching her head she could tell that it was sticking up on one side. She probably looked like a complete and utter fool. "Yes, I am familiar with that regrettable rule, Professor."

"Perfect. Then you know exactly what to do with yourself, correct?"

She sucked in a deep breath of air, ignoring the fact the she looked like an obese fish. "Unfortunately I do."

"Excellent. Have a nice day." After speaking Mr. Hamasaki turned away, his shoes barely clicking against the worn carpet along the floor. He quickly jumped back into his lesson, ignoring Mai and the whole left side of the room.

Another loud sigh slipped through Mai's lips as she started to collect her things. She jammed everything from pencils to books into her small backpack. It didn't take long—in a short period of time everything was gone. All that remained was herself, which was easy to dispose of.

"What are you doing?" her friend whispered angrily, the abusive pen still dancing between her fingertips.

"I have to leave. Didn't you hear what Mr. Hamasaki said?"

She grabbed Mai's arm and whispered loudly into her ear. "I know exactly what you are doing. I'm just wondering when this crazy behaviour is going to stop. You've been acting paranoid all week. From what Sadao has told me, and believe me I don't mean to pry, but this is not the only class you have been kicked out of lately."

Mai pulled away from her friend's hand, smiling grimly as the professor sent her another glare. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me, okay? I just have a few things to sort out."

"Mai—"

"I promise, okay? Now focus on your work. I know that you hate distractions."

Her friend nodded, but her eyes were still filled with worry. The look sent waves of guilt throughout Mai's veins. If there was anything she hated more, it was being the cause of someone's concern. She liked to handle problems on her own. She didn't enjoy clogging another person's mind, body, or soul. That wasn't fair. Everyone deserved to feel happy. Sadness was a waste of time and energy. It just hurt.

For her friend's sake, she pushed away her fears and released a brilliant smile. It didn't wipe away her obvious worry, but it seemed to place a band-aid on top of the problem. That was better than nothing. Mai waved and slipped out of the room, perfectly aware of her professor's angry stare. It may have been filled with curiosity as well, but she chose not to linger on it. Mr. Hamasaki studied history and human behaviour. He was probably trying to decide if she was going to be a permanent trouble-maker for the rest of the year. She wasn't going to be of course, but that didn't stop the man from trying.

"Alright," Mai whispered under her breath, "What to do now?"

One thing was for certain: she wasn't going back to her apartment. The whole place was unnerving. For a whole week she had been avoiding the place. She only went back there with a friend. Nothing weird seemed to happen when other people were around. The shadows seemed to slip away for a brief moment in time. Mai was able to think, which was more than a miracle.

If she wasn't in her apartment, she was trying not to sleep. That's when she heard the voices. They were quiet at first, but within the darkness they seemed to grow in strength. At one point it had sounded like someone was yelling in her ear. That seemed impossible, but Mai wasn't too sure. She had seen plenty of weird things in her lifetime, most of which defied the laws of reality. Since she couldn't really sleep, she took to taking small naps. Unfortunately they had to take place in public places. Mai found herself dozing off on the subway at one point. One night she found herself sleeping on Sadao's couch, which had been more than uncomfortable. He wanted to give her his bed, which was simply ridiculous. Mai was never going to accept his offer. She wasn't ready for a commitment like that.

That's when she chose to doze off during lectures. Her decision backfired of course—she had been kicked out of most of her classes. Her professors had been furious. She had never been a student to act out during a lecture. Unfortunately they had been proven wrong. Mai was acting like a crazy person. The worst thing was, she couldn't help it.

A loud groan exploded through the air as Mai pulled out her phone. She clicked a few buttons and tapped the screen in order to find her daily schedule. School wasn't an option. Neither was her apartment unfortunately. More likely than not, she would have to go to work. She would be starting her shift early, but it wasn't like she had a choice. She didn't want to confront her inner demons, or rather, the ones that seemed to haunt her at night.

Before she could stop herself, Mai walked towards the movie store. She took her time, only focussing on the mere basics; the pavement beneath her feet, the traffic, and the street names. If she chose to think about anything else, sanity would sink into her mind again. She couldn't afford to fall to pieces. She had a difficult shift to work. It was a Friday night which meant only one thing: romantic movies, the literal bane of her existence.

Lost in her thoughts, Mai quickly found herself standing in front of her destination. She scowled, her lips twisting in distaste as she threw herself against the doors and walked into the store. In seconds she was assaulted by the owner. Another loud groan popped out of her mouth. She didn't want to deal with the imprudent woman. Regrettably she had no choice.

"Taniyama!" Mrs. Ojai shrieked in a high pitched tone, "what are you doing here? If you're here for my help, I'll let you know now that I don't do favours."

Mai pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm here to start my shift early. Believe me, I wouldn't ask you for help if my life depended on it."

Mrs. Ojai grunted, tossing several films onto the floor. "That's rude, Taniyama. Do you always speak without a filter?"

Frustration filtered through Mai's veins. No matter how long she worked in the movie store she would never understand that woman. She was a confusing mystery, one Mai didn't plan on figuring out any time soon. "Not usually," she managed to grumble while heading to the front desk. She tossed her bag along the floor and sighed deeply. She was going to have a long day.

"If you want my advice, you should learn to keep your mouth shut. Back in my day women were seen, not heard."

"It's the twenty-first century, Mrs. Ojai. Time is moving forward. Things have changed."

"Too much in my opinion," her boss muttered angrily, sending Mai a dark glare, "If you're going to be here, I suggest getting to work. Pick up those movies off the ground for a start. I can't sell people a product that has been abused."

"You put it there in the first place," Mai said, weaving around the desk to retrieve the dust covered films.

"Don't question me! Just get it done! I'll be leaving shortly, so don't destroy anything while I am gone. I expect the store to be in perfect order tomorrow afternoon," Mrs. Ojai yelled from the back of the shop. "Don't expect to be paid more for coming here early either. I don't pay people for extra work."

"You don't pay people for anything," Mai whispered under her breath.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing! I am just following your orders like usual," Mai said while examining the movies along the floor. They were all just generic action movies, nothing fancy. One might have been a thriller, but it didn't really matter in the end. They would all be placed in a shelf along the back of the store. Each of them was a reject of some sort. They all failed in the box office, contained horrible acting, and flimsy plots. Watching one of them would certainly inflict pain. Mai knew—she had seen too many horrible films to last a lifetime.

"Good. Now get to work."

For most of the day that was what Mai did. She worked hard, only listening to the hum of nearby traffic and Mrs. Ojai's off-key singing. Occasionally some people waltzed into the store, but she didn't mind. Human interaction was a necessity at this time in her life. She needed to be occupied by thoughts that didn't revolve around the journal. If not, she would be forced to read it again. That was something she didn't want to do. E.D. was an even bigger mystery than her boss. Cracking a hole through that woman's life, or at least what it once was, would be incredibly difficult.

Before she knew it, the light that once consumed the outside world had faded away. It had slipped behind the horizon, casting the city in hues of black and grey. She should have been prepared for the unusual, but like normal, she was not. Mai didn't notice how the florescent lights within the store seemed to dim dramatically. She didn't notice how silence, something nearly impossible in downtown Tokyo, suddenly surrounded her like a blanket. She didn't even notice the faint ringing of a bell indicating that someone, or rather, something had entered the store. It took minutes, perhaps hours, for Mai to comprehend the sound of a voice near the front desk.

"Hello?" She called out loudly, smacking a row of films in annoyance. For some reason, a whole chunk of the romance section had ended up mixed with a variety of kids films. Mai blamed it on Mrs. Ojai, but would never dare to say it to the woman's face. Sure, she said lots of other things, but questioning her boss's work was another thing entirely.

A tired sigh exploded in the air. Mai attempted to look over the shelfs to see the front of the store, but failed. She was obviously too short to succeed in her task. "Hello?" She asked again in a bored tone. "Is someone there?"

No reply came from the mystery customer. Mai pulled a few movies from the rack, rolling her eyes at the situation. She hated dealing with people who couldn't decide if they needed help or not. It only wasted time. Shrugging her shoulders, Mai began moving some films around in an attempt to fix the mess her boss had made. Every shelf had to be organized. Otherwise people would wonder around aimlessly attempting to find the correct movie. She didn't want to be the object of anyone's rage.

"Help me."

A shiver slipped down Mai's spine. She tried to look over the rack again, but only failed. Someone was obviously at the front of the store. The person must have been shy. That was the only reason why they refused to simply look for her in the first place.

"I'm coming! Just give me a second!" Mai shouted in an exasperated tone. She shoved each of the movies in their rightful place before walking to the front of the store. As she rounded a small corner, she couldn't help but speak. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. I was organizing some movies out back. It can get pretty messy—" Her voice slowly faded away. Fear, a familiar sensation, filtered throughout Mai's veins.

No one was there.

The front desk was just as Mai had left it; empty and barren. Her bag was still on the floor, the drawstring tightly closed. There was no indication that someone had come into the store. Everything was untouched. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Mai sucked in a deep breath, willing herself to stare at the top corner of the door. In that very place there was a bell. As her gaze moved higher, she could barely hold back a terrified scream. It was moving. The funny thing was, there was no sound.

"Help me!"

Mai shrieked and threw her arms out for protection. The voice, whatever it was, had exploded in the air right beside her ear. She didn't know what it was and didn't plan on finding out. Before she could even think, her feet were carrying her toward the back door. She sprinted around several stacks of movies, wincing as her foot connected with a bunch that had been left on the floor. The plastic crunched underneath her toes and scattered throughout the isle like glass.

" _Come back!_ " The voice hissed in an angry tone, " _I want to play._ "

Another pile of movies deterred Mai from her path. She didn't need to think twice. She kicked them aside, taking no joy in watching the plastic cases slide across the concrete like a deck of cards. She was close to the back door. All she had to do was round one more corner. Freedom was so incredibly close—Mai could almost taste it on her lips.

Unfortunately she was wrong. As her exit came into sight, a large shadow did as well. It was huge. The creature, whatever it was, stretched across the walls and ceiling like a snake. It sucked away all of the light remaining in the store until little remained. Like a wildfire, it spread rapidly and consumed everything in its path. Mai, after freezing in fear, took a cautious step backward. Her brain fumbled with the facts. She needed a new plan.

" _Let's play, little girl_."

A scream slipped through her lips. Mai didn't bother holding it back. It wasn't one thing that has spoken. The voice was fragmented, filled with different octaves and volumes. It was a physical force, one that pushed her to the ground. To save herself, she grabbed a nearby shelf. When it began to tilt under pressure, Mai threw herself forward and ran again. Moving was difficult; in seconds, hundreds of films crashed onto the ground. Her feet slid across the floor, landing on movies that she had never even heard of. In the end of course, that didn't matter. She needed to get to her phone. She needed help.

" _Stop running. We only want to play._ "

Mai sprinted across the pavement, grabbing every nearby shelf in order to get support. Movies continued to fall, but she didn't care. They clattered to the ground and bounced around, only serving to drive her forward. By the time she reached the desk, she was drenched in a cold sweat. Diving for her bag, Mai crashed onto the ground and crawled in an area close to her chair. She didn't look over her shoulder. She didn't even think. After finding her phone she dialled the only number she knew off by heart.

It used to be Naru's, but he had changed his phone number too many times in the past five years. All that remained was Sadao. He was the only person that could help her now. He was the only person that could do something rather than nothing at all. As he phone rang, Mai waited impatiently. She tapped her fingers against the floor, willing herself to ignore the sounds radiating from the back of the room.

"Hello?"

For a moment, Mai couldn't breathe. She gasped for air, her body quivering like a leaf. It was funny—she couldn't tell if it was from fear or complete and utter relief. "Sadao? Is that you?"

"Mai! I have been wondering what you have been up to all day. Where have you been? Everyone has been looking for you," Sadao said calmly, his voice radiating into the air.

Mai squeezed her eyes shut and held onto the phone for dear life. She could hear the voice scream. The sound was indescribable to a mere bystander. It sounded angry—no, furious. If she was still in the back of the room something terrible would have occurred. There was no denying that truth at all.

"Mai? Are you there?"

"Yeah," she managed to splutter between gasps for air, "I'm here."

"Hey, you don't sound very good. What's wrong?" Sadao asked, his voice filled with concern.

"N-nothing. I just went for a run."

A loud bang came from the back of the room. Mai jumped, cursing the creature or thing that had suddenly begun to torment her. If she had still been with her friends fighting the paranormal, protecting herself wouldn't have been a problem. Unfortunately, it had been years since she had used any sort of charm or spell. She no longer had the skills or experience required for self defence. Additionally, Mai didn't even know what she was up against. What abilities she did have could possibly be useless against such a creature. Unfortunately the risks outweighed any sort of benefit.

"You don't run."

Mai's voice cracked. "You're right."

Sadao was a good man. He didn't ask Mai to suddenly explain herself, or to spit out what was wrong. If she refused to answer any of her questions, he never pried again. He only tried to help.

"What can I do?" he asked in a worried tone.

"Just talk, Sadao. Tell me that I'm not crazy."

For a moment, he remained quiet. Mai knew he wanted to know where she was. If Sadao had any choice in the matter he would throw himself at her feet. Fortunately, she wasn't the kind of person to take advantage of a guy like that. She didn't want him to get hurt. Mai's problems had to be her own. That's the way it always had to be.

"Anything else?"

Mai sucked in a weary breath. "No. That's all you can possibly do."


	10. Taste of Home

_"Home is where you are loved the most and act the worst."_  
~Marjorie Pay Hinckley

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_Chapter Ten_

Taste of Home

For the first time in his life, Naru decided that he hated tea. That may have sounded crazy, maybe even a tad insane, but he had a good reason for his madness. He disliked the particular cup of tea nestled between his fingertips and had a variety of reasons as to why, all of which were morally sound. The first for instance, was the shape of the cup. It was a mug. A disgusting, heavy, and ridiculous looking mug. Tea was a sophisticated beverage, one which in all situations had to be served in a teacup. Secondly, the water was cold. Not freezing, but a distasteful sort of warmth that remind Naru of bathwater. If he wanted to drink bathwater, he could have managed to conjure up something by himself. Lastly the tea, the dreaded, ugly, and horrid cup of tea, had been made by his parents. That by far was the worst thing on his list.

"Stop frowning." Lin said calmly, sipping the beverage that had been slipped into his hands. "You look like a child."

"Why," Naru began in a dangerously polite tone, "did you get the tea cup? Of all the people to get it, you had to be the one didn't you?"

Lin didn't reply. He merely rolled his eyes, obviously perturbed by Naru's ridiculous comment. It was fairly childish, but he didn't mean it in that way at all. The statement was a form of punishment. It had only been used to annoy Lin. Naru's reason was simple; that man was responsible for bringing him to his parents home. After months of isolation, he had been dragged back to the place he wanted to avoid. It was all because Madoka wanted to delve into the secrets of his soul. Naru should have known better. He should have kept his mouth shut.

Unfortunately whining about the past didn't change anything. What had been done was done. Now he had to deal with the repercussions of his actions, which wouldn't be so terrible. At least Naru was getting what he wanted. He never desired to return to Japan in the first place, but the situation with Mai was getting out of hand. Apart of himself, a segment incredibly deep within his mind, felt responsible for her. He knew from the very beginning that something was wrong. If he didn't act on his instincts now, there was a possibility that he could be too late.

In thought, Naru swirled is tea in a circle. He watched as the liquid danced around the rim, spinning at an unprecedented rate. It symbolized his chaotic life, which did not create any form of comfort at all. It was sad actually, so much that Naru released a loud sigh. He wanted to curl up in a ball and just sleep. His day had been long and he couldn't wait for it to come to a conclusion.

"They are going to come back shortly. Try to look a little less violent."

Naru scowled and tightened his grip along the edges of his cup. He wasn't planning on listening to Lin any time soon. He was another idiot who played a role in the whole mess. Due to his foolish demands, his parents were going to see him again. Inside, Naru desperately wanted to return to his life in isolation.

"Lin," A voice echoed from the back of the kitchen, "it's so wonderful to see you again! It's been such a long time."

"It most certainly has." Lin replied, sipping his tea casually. "How have you been, Mrs. Davis?"

A light laugh echoed throughout the air. Naru couldn't help but sigh sadly. There was still something missing in his mother's voice. Perhaps no one could see it, but he had never been blind. Gene's passing had ripped something out of Luella's chest. Naru suspected that it had been her heart. It was healing, that much was obvious. Unfortunately, the process would take a long time to complete. Six or seven years only scratched at the surface of her wounds.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Lin! Call me Luella."

Naru glanced at Lin before choosing to stare at his mother. She had just walked into the room. Between her fingertips was a platter filled with biscuits and desserts. There was tea as well, but that hardly caught his interest. It was the scent of apple bread that filtered throughout his senses. If there was one thing he could forgive his parents for, it was that delicious baked good. Naru resisted the urge to pluck a fresh piece of bread off of the plate and into his mouth. That would hardly be decent.

"Not that telling you matters," his mother continued before sitting along the edge of a couch, "Luella never seemed to stick."

Lin chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

There was a slight pause before Luella sighed and pushed the platter forward. "Oliver, if you're going to stare at the apple bread like that, I suggest you grab a piece. Pretending it doesn't exist won't change the fact that it's sitting in front of you."

Naru tried to pretend he wasn't surprised. He didn't fail of course, but it was difficult to hide anything from his mother. She could see through most of his icy exterior. His secrets, dreams, wishes, and aspirations were almost at her fingertips. Fortunately, she did not have to ability to see everything. That was a gift Naru gave to no one. Well, at least that's what he thought. Mai, that stupid and ridiculous girl, had the ability to stomp all across his soul like an angry child. She mixed his feelings around until they were mere splatters of paint. It was incredibly distracting.

"I'll just focus on my tea, thank you." He managed to reply in a bored tone. With an immense amount of distaste, Naru manage to swallow a mouthful of his 'bathwater'. He didn't miss the disappointed look that filtered throughout his mother's gaze. Lin rolled his eyes. It was impossible to miss the man's dismay. It nearly punched Naru in the face.

"Just ignore Oliver, Mrs. Davis. As you can see, he's in a bit of a mood."

"I don't need you to speak for me." Naru said slyly, barely holding back a gag. Drinking the tea had been a terrible mistake. It was worse than bathwater. The beverage tasted like old people, which wasn't even supposed to be a possibility.

"Clearly."

A scowl slid across Naru's mouth. He hated when Lin exploited his behaviour to the world. It was his own personal form of punishment, one that suddenly came into existence after his activities the night before. Interfering with his date obviously deserved some sort of retribution.

"I'm glad you think so. Otherwise we would have quite the misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding or not," Luella began in a gentle tone, "I'm glad you're here. It's been too long."

Naru squirmed under his mother's gaze. He didn't chose to say anything. In many ways there was little he could say. In the grand scheme of things, he wasn't really a dutiful son. He avoided each of Luella's calls and fled at any opportunity to see her. It was terrible and there was nothing he could vocalize that wouldn't sound rude, patronizing, or completely offensive.

Luella sighed and focussed on her cup of tea. "I suppose I should get right to the point. You two must have came here for a reason. Tell me what it is. I'll see what I can do to help."

Lin sent Naru an angry glare. It was obvious—he didn't appreciate how he continued to worry his mother. "Well, Oliver wanted to see you of course. As you have said it's been awhile."

A soft smile slid across Luella's mouth. Naru wanted to punch himself in the face. "Whatever the reason, I'm glad that you came to visit me. Unfortunately, your father is unable to be here. He is working on a pretty serious case. I'm certain you understand."

"Yes, although he may have been of assistance. The other reason why we are here. It's due to a—"

"I'm going to Japan." Naru spit out, smoothly cutting Lin off.

A frightened look immediately slid across Luella's face. Despite the sudden transition in conversation, she managed to quickly compose herself. "Japan?"

"There is a parapsychology conference in that area this year. I have been invited to attend."

"Martin told me that you refused to go. If I recall, he said that you believed the risks outweighed the benefits."

Believe it or not, Naru was good at lying. He could fabricate a ridiculous story with a flourish of his hand and a well executed gleam in his eyes. It would be difficult for his mother to believe it of course, but that didn't stop him. If a little falsehood would ease Luella's spirits, that's what would be done. He didn't feel bad about the whole situation at all. He personally thought it was an enormous waste of time. Unfortunately it had been Lin's only condition for going after Mai in the first place. He was certain that the man didn't want to hurt his mother in any way, but that was besides the point. In the end she would be fine. No harm would really be done.

Before he continued to speak, Naru finished the contents of his ugly cup. He managed to swallow the tea without gagging again, which in his mind deserved some sort of reward. "I was asked to reconsider. Correct, Lin?"

His friend barely suppressed a glare. Naru couldn't help but smile. Involving Lin in the lie would make the whole story more convincing. "Yes, that is correct."

"What reason?"

"Science." Naru managed to reply while running a hand through his messy hair.

When Luella sighed loudly, Lin quickly began to speak. "What Oliver means to say, is that he would like to meet up with some old friends."

That caught him by surprise. Naru narrowed his eyes, suddenly wishing he could dump a whole pot of tea over Lin's obnoxious head. There was no point in lying if he was basically going to spit the truth out anyways. That just wasted even more time, which was pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable in terms of stupidity.

"Friends? Forgive me, Oliver, but you're going to have to explain this a little more thoroughly." Luella said as she snatched a piece of apple bread and popped it into her mouth. For a second Naru forgot to be mad.

"A few of my colleges are going to be attending the conference in Japan. The research they have been doing relates to my work. I would be throwing away a good opportunity if I refused to go."

"I see." Luella said while sliding another piece of bread into her mouth. "Could I contact these friends of yours? I'm sure that Martin would want to make sure that they are qualified. Plus they would have to understand the conditions of your situation. It's dangerous."

Naru pinched the bridge of his nose, sucking in a deep breath of air. His mother was beginning to ramble. She was worried and would likely interfere with the whole situation. In annoyance, he sent a scowl in Lin's direction. If the plan had went his way, Luella would have never gotten involved. Unfortunately, his friend had to to destroy everything with his feelings. It was enough to drive a madman insane.

"Mrs. Davis, that won't be necessary." Lin said in a calm voice. "You met these people five years ago. They completely understand Oliver's reasons for travelling to Japan. They always have."

"The girl—I remember her. What was her name?" Luella asked in a careful tone.

That was another surprise. Of all the people his mother remembered in Japan, it had to be Mai. Naru honestly didn't understand why that idiot was beginning to take over his life. It was ridiculous on a variety of levels. He didn't need his whole family suddenly obsessing over a girl he used to know. They knew nothing about her, not even her name apparently.

"Mai Taniyama." He managed to spit out against his will. Her name tasted like acid against his tongue.

"Yes, I remember her quite well actually. She was very sweet." Luella said quietly. She looked down at her tea cup, a sad smile consuming her lips. "Does she really understand your situation, Oliver? Did she know about Gene?"

"You could say that she knows more than the average person." Lin muttered quietly, his voice muffled due to another mouthful of tea.

Naru recoiled in shock. His face probably didn't change very much, but that was besides the point. Disbelief filtered throughout his veins like some sort of deadly drug. For a moment, it numbed his senses to the point of oblivion. He couldn't believe what Lin had chosen to say. With the ease of a child, he had taped a huge implication on top of Naru's head like a dollar sign. It was degrading—no, debilitating. He could barely breathe. The idea of being romantically involved with that girl was beyond the realm of understanding. It actually hurt his head to even think about it. When he ever had the chance, Lin was going to pay. He didn't care how, it was just going to happen.

"She knows enough." Naru hissed through his teeth, glaring at Lin with the intensity of a serial killer.

Luella laughed, her voice jingling like a pair of bells. "That is good to hear. Have you been in contact with her?"

Naru wanted to die inside. That was a loaded question. Everyone in the room knew it, even Lin, who suddenly became enraptured with his tea cup. Unfortunately, there was only one way he could answer his mother's inquiry. Mai had been officially tied into the lie. If he said anything else but a resounding yes, it would all be over. At this point, that could not happen.

With difficulty, Naru met Luella's eyes. He ignored how her smile seemed to reach her eyes. "Yes I have."

"Have you made plans?"

Another loaded question. In order to save himself, Naru directed the conversation to his so called friend. "Lin is responsible for all of the arrangements. From what I know, he has everything figured out."

"So you are going to Japan? For sure?"

Lin quickly set his teacup down. It appeared as though it was no longer an object of complete interest. Naru tried to find amusement in his behaviour, but failed dramatically. Nothing could lift his spirits now. Somehow his mother believed he was romantically involved with another human being. The situation was almost too much to bear.

"Yes, Mrs. Davis. Our flight leaves in approximately two days."

A loud sigh escaped from Luella's mouth. "I would ask you to stay, but I won't, Oliver. As much as it pains me to say it, you are old enough to make your own decisions. I won't stop you. All I ask is that you tell your father about this. I can't promise that he won't interfere."

"May I ask why?"

"Martin received an invitation to the event as well. He was planning to attend. If you are set on going, he will certainly expect to see you there."

And there was Naru's cage. In a matter of seconds it had come crashing from the sky and suddenly landed at his feet. He should have known that his family would never let him slip from their fingertips. Despite everything his parents believed he was too fragile. If someone did something—anything, they thought he would shatter like glass. He was a relic after all. Naru was a symbol of his brother and the past. There was no way his parents would be letting that go any time soon.

"I'll be sure to give him a call before the plane takes off." Naru said calmly, frustration slowly accumulating within his body.

"Would it be possible for you to call him today? Maybe he can take the flight with you and Lin."

"I thought he was busy with a serious case?"

Luella smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "He can be persuaded to take a break. I'm certain he would love to spend some time with his son."

Naru sucked in a deep breath of air. "We will see."

For the longest time silence dominated the room. No one chose to speak. Naru was too mad to even consider vocalizing any frame of thought. Lin was once again occupied with his perfect little tea cup and his mother was obviously consumed in worry. At this point talking wouldn't help anyone. So instead of doing anything, Naru stared at the apple bread his mother had created. He wanted a piece, but due to his pride, would have nothing to do with it. He supposed that was how most of his life went. Ignoring people, places, and things was how he coped with the world.

The silence carried on for awhile, but not long enough in Naru's opinion. As soon as he became comfortable with the thought of no longer speaking, his phone began to go off. A scowl slipped across his features as his pulled it out of his pocket. He didn't bother checking the caller ID—it was probably some idiot at the university, or worse, his father. No one he liked ever bothered to call, but that was probably because he liked no one in the first place.

"Hello?" Naru asked after bringing the device to his ear. He suppressed a groan of outrage, wondering why everything in the world seemed to hate him.

"Naru, Oliver—whatever name you go by, are you there? Can you hear me?"

There was no way Naru could pretend he didn't know who was calling. He would have loved to of course, but at the moment he didn't really have a choice. "Houshou Takigawa? How did you get this number? I don't recall ever giving it to you."

"You didn't." He replied quietly, his voice crackling from the speaker.

Confusion filled Naru's veins. He sent a sidelong glance at Lin, wondering why the monk of all people would decide to give him a call. "Obviously."

"Look," he said pausing to take a breath, "I'm calling you through Mai's cell phone. For some reason she had your number."

"Why are you using her phone?" Naru asked suspiciously, his heart suddenly leaping to his throat. For some reason he felt incredibly sick. The headache, the one that had plagued his brain the night before, had suddenly returned. It nibbled away at his thoughts, ensuring that nothing remained but fear. It could have been annoyance, but at this point Naru couldn't tell. After a week of torture he was prepared to believe in anything.

"What I'm about to tell you—Naru, you aren't going to like it."

Another prominent scowl slid across Naru's lips. "Spit it out, monk. I don't have all day."

He wasn't prepared for what Houshou said next. He merely sat dumbly, too shocked about what he had been forced to hear. The whole situation only confirmed what Naru had come to believe; the world despised his soul. That was the only explanation for what had come to pass. After a week full of warnings he hadn't acted fast enough. It seemed that fate, despite its familiarity, refused to treat him like a long lost friend.

Before he could speak—before he could even whisper a single word, Luella crept directly into his line of sight. He didn't look into her eyes, as that would betray every thought that slipped through his mind. Naru simply sat quietly, listening to Houshou speak. If he had a choice, his phone would have become small splinters of metal ages ago. Of course, destroying such an object would do nothing in the long run. It wouldn't change the information that flooded through his mind at each passing second.

"Here," his mother said softly, setting a plate along his lap. "It looks like you need something to live through that phone call."

Sucking back his pride for a mere second, Naru looked down, not even phased by what he saw. Apple bread, the delicacy he secretly adored, was balanced carefully along his knees. He wanted to refuse the dessert, but unfortunately he no longer had the power to do so. It was too close. Ignoring something right in front of his face was a challenge he could no longer avoid.

Disregarding Lin's questioning stare, Naru broke the bread in several segments before popping a piece into his mouth. He enjoyed the flavour of apple, cinnamon, and sugar bursting upon his tongue. It was full of memories, something he enjoyed despite the seriousness of the situation. Taking a deep breath, Naru chose to acknowledge his mother. He met her warm brown gaze, permitting her a second of his complete and utter attention. He was certain that she saw his worry. If not that, something Naru wouldn't have to ability to fully understand.


	11. A Single Drop

_"To hurt is as human as to breathe."  
_ ~J.K. Rowling

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_Chapter Eleven_

A Single Drop

Anger was a ridiculous emotion. It was hot and fluid; something entirely tangible despite its mere classification as a simple feeling. Mai didn't like it. Rage, in its most pure and unpolluted form, had the ability to blind the weak. Weakness was for children or immature teenagers who couldn't bottle up their hormones. No one deserved to sink to that level. No one, not even a child, deserved to be torn apart from the inside out. That was a waste of precious time. There were plenty of other things people could be doing than succumbing to the raw evil that defined anger. Unfortunately, no one seemed to know that. Despite the lawless passion that it created, people refused to see how painful it really was. Mai knew—Mrs. Ojai, her lovely boss, was blind to everything except the disaster in front of her face.

" _Get out!_ " The woman screamed at the top of her lungs, pausing to suck in a giant breath, "I told you to keep my store in pristine condition! I leave for five minutes and what happens? _You tear the place to God damned pieces!_ "

Mai sucked back a frustrated retort. In reality, there was nothing she could say to mend the situation. It wasn't like she could put a verbal bandaid on the problem and call it a day. She was indirectly responsible for damaging the business she strived to maintain. A variety of shelves were scattered across the floor. Movies, it didn't matter what genre, completely covered the tile beneath her feet. It was difficult for Mai to admit, but the store was a mess. It honestly looked like a bomb had gone off.

"I can explain everything, Mrs. Ojai." Mai said in a deflated tone.

A dark laugh slipped through the woman's lips. "There is absolutely nothing to explain, you insolent child! Don't even try to pull that card on me."

"You don't understand." Mai paused to slip past the front desk. Despite everything, she refused to completely leave it. Throughout the night it had become her salvation. Without it, she would have been forced to face the creature in the back of the store. There was no way she could have possibly survived an encounter with the shadow again. It's presence felt wrong. The sensation of danger slipped beneath her skin within seconds, forcing her body to move—hide from whatever evil lingered in the air.

" _You don't understand._ " Mrs. Ojai mocked in an airy tone. "Do you think I am a fool, Taniyama? I understand exactly what is going on here."

Sucking back her frustration and fear, Mai stepped forward, ignoring the glare Mrs. Ojai whipped in her direction. "Please let me explain. It's not what you think."

"No! I don't want to hear it! Didn't you hear me? _I don't want to hear any excuses!_ "

"I don't have an excuse! I only want to tell you the truth."

Another dark laugh exploded throughout the air. "The truth? What kind of statement is that? You are a ridiculous young adult with a superiority complex! The truth is nothing to you! I'm certain lying is the better alternative."

"If you would only let me explain," Mai began in a cold tone, "this could all be sorted out. Please, Mrs. Ojai. I know you're a woman with some common sense."

Immediately, Mai knew that was the incorrect thing to say. Within moments Mrs. Ojai's face turned a bright shade of red. The woman almost looked like a tomato, which was amusing to say the least. It was horrible of course, but at least her boss looked alive for once. Usually the woman was devoid of any sort of life source. It was good that she was feeling something. Unfortunately it had to be pure rage, which wasn't exactly Mai's cup of tea.

" _Common sense?_ I have more common sense than half of the bloody women on this planet!" Mrs. Ojai screeched, her voice rising several octaves. "I'd say that you could use more of it! Do you want to know why, Taniyama?"

A loud sigh slipped through Mai's lips. "Please give me a chance to explain. Mrs. Ojai—"

"You're fired!" She continued in a boisterous tone, "No one can simply destroy my business and get away with it!"

In frustration, Mai clenched her fists. She needed to keep working. In the grand scheme of things she couldn't afford to lose her job. Without a steady source of money it would be a struggle just to pay her rent. That was one thing she didn't need in her life. Dealing with ghosts and phantoms was one thing, but trying to survive in Japan was a whole different story. It took a long time to find a well paying job. There was no way Mai was going to give it up without some sort of fight or explanation. That would go against her very nature as a human being.

"Mrs. Ojai, I didn't make this mess. I would never do something like this."

"What would you expect me to believe?" Mrs. Ojai hissed through her teeth while gathering an assortment of movies from the floor. "Did a ghost suddenly pop up and tear this place to pieces?"

Wincing, Mai bent down in an attempt to help her boss with the mess along the floor. Despite the sarcastic nature of her comment, Mrs. Ojai was correct. Some sort of paranormal phenomenon had occurred within the store. It may have been difficult to believe, but it was incredibly true.

"If you want the truth of the matter, yes."

Mrs. Ojai, once occupied with the movies along the floor, froze immediately. Mai could almost feel the temperature within the room drop. Once again, she had said the wrong thing. Obviously being truthful was useless. It only served to make the situation worse, which seemed utterly impossible moments before. Running a hand through her hair, Mai released a huge breath of air. There wasn't much she could do in the end. It was Mrs. Ojai's choice; she could either believe the truth of the situation, or chose to ignore it completely. Both options were a clear possibility.

"Pardon?" She asked in a tone filled with disbelief.

Looking around the room uneasily, Mai began to speak. "Whether you chose to listen to me or not, I was not responsible for what happened to here. Try to have an open mind."

" _An open mind?_ " Mrs. Ojai shrieked again loudly. "Who the hell are you, Taniyama? I thought you were a reasonable woman when I hired you, but now I have reason to believe otherwise. You are crazy!"

"No, let me explain—"

" _Get out!_ I don't want to see your face around here ever again! I don't hire mental patients!" The woman shouted at the top of her lungs. To prove her point, she whipped an old film in Mai's direction. It clattered off of her arm and fell to the floor loudly.

A hiss of pain slipped through Mai's lips. She couldn't believe that her boss just threw a film at her face. It was an obvious step in the wrong direction, one she could not longer ignore. "I'm not a crazy person! I just want to tell the truth. Can't you get that through your thick skull?

"Get out, Taniyama. I have an arsenal of movies and I'm not afraid to use them."

She had no choice. Scowling, Mai returned to the main desk and retrieved her backpack. During the night she had used it as a form of comfort. As Sadao's voice flowed into her ear she had squeezed her bag tightly, pretending the noise from the back of the store was nothing but the faint wheeze of traffic. She was wrong of course, but envisioning something normal was better than dealing with reality. When her phone had died, that was when her imagination became her saviour. She no longer had Sadao to soothe her fear. For hours she had been forced to remain in the darkness alone. The night may have passed, but something in Mai's heart told her it wasn't over. Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come. Her reasoning was simple: the only place she could return to was her apartment. That was where it had all began.

"Hurry up." Mrs. Ojai hissed again. "You need to leave."

Barely suppressing another scowl, Mai slung her bag over her shoulder and forced herself to meet Mrs. Ojai's eyes. Despite being misunderstood and treated like an ignorant teen, she refused to leave the store in an angry stupor. Taking a deep breath, Mai stepped forward and bowed. She stared at the tile beneath her feet, memorizing the lines and curves before choosing to stand up again. She would miss the store. It had the ability to be an incredibly annoying place, but harboured some good memories in the end.

"Thank you for having me." Mai began in a rigid tone. "I appreciate it."

Mrs. Ojai rolled her eyes and roughly gestured towards the door. Mai didn't need to be told again. Before she could even think, her feet had carried her towards the front entrance. When her shoes touched the sidewalk, she felt as though she could finally breathe. A weight still dominated her shoulders, but it could not be compared to the defeat she felt inside the movie store. After staying awake all night, Mai was more than tired. She was utterly exhausted. Her mind rang with the screams of the creature within the building. Pictures of the shadows were glued to the back of her eyes. The worst part about it all was the journal. For over a week she had been avoiding it. Currently, it was perched on the couch within her living room. After Sadao's visit, Mai refused to touch it. Unfortunately, that was a bad thing. The longer she resisted the book, the more she craved to read it. The addiction was something she couldn't control.

Shaking her head, Mai slowly began to drag herself back to her apartment. Her shoes smacked against the pavement heavily; it wasn't surprising when several people sent questioning stares in her direction. She looked sick. Fortunately, she didn't particularly care what other people thought. Her brain was spinning with possible ideas on how to solve the problem. As ridiculous as it sounded, she couldn't ask for help. What friends she used to have had moved on with their lives. Even Hoshou, one of her closest companions, had slipped from her fingertips. In Mai's mind, that was still incredibly difficult to comprehend. Sadao definitely couldn't do anything either. She would never let him in the first place. He didn't need to suddenly have the paranormal shoved in his face.

While crossing the street Mai ran several fingers through her hair. In the end, should could only attempt to solve the problem by herself. That only meant one thing; she would have to read the journal. It may have sounded insane, but that was the only way she could gain any insight on what could possibly be haunting her. She had already examined the book and it had given her nothing, not even a name. Sure, she may have had some initials, but that wasn't the same. Mai needed something tangible. It was important that she knew more about E.D. She was lucky enough to have a date and time, but there was a chance that could even be false. If Mai knew anything, it was that paranormal figures enjoyed toying with the minds of their victims. It was almost like a game.

With her mind running as fast as a train, Mai barely noticed her apartment door. As soon as she did however, a loud groan slipped through her lips. Fear, an emotion she was beginning to despise, slid through her veins like a drug. She may have had good intentions, but that didn't mean she was immune to the terror that they implied. In minutes, maybe even seconds, she would have to walk through that door again. She would have to push away her worries and succumb to her desperate need to read the journal. That was the only way she could start to fix everything. If that didn't work, Mai didn't know what she could possibly do. There was no way she could live long without sleeping, let alone going to school. People would begin to question her behaviour. Sure, they already were, but that was besides the point. Everything would obviously get worse.

"Why me?" Mai whispered under her breath angrily. She kicked the edge of her door, wondering why life hated her so much. Her days were always positive, but for the first time in years everything was beginning to turn upside down. She felt like some sort of character from a book. That in itself was just incredibly wrong.

Continuing to mutter under her breath, Mai fumbled for her bag. She fiddled with the straps before finally pulling the zipper open. She took several moments, but soon the keys to her apartment were tangled between her fingertips. It took a series of pep talks and motivational quotes for her to slide the small piece of metal into the lock. When the door creaked open, Mai sucked in a breath of anticipation. The first thing she had to do was grab the journal. If she felt uncomfortable in any way, the hallway would be her salvation. She could easily run and seek out help. Explaining what was going on would be difficult of course, but that was the chance she had to take. The creature, whatever it was, refused to act up in the presence of other people.

Mai took a deep breath and slowly creeped past her door. It may have been the middle of the day, but her apartment was completely dark. The sun shining through the windows was dim and grey. Shadows, fat and thin, lingered along the floorboards like splattered paint. They were ominous; so worrisome that Mai couldn't help but release a small groan. Spending a night in absolute terror obviously wasn't enough. E.D., the journal—whatever it was had some sort of message for her. Regrettably, Mai didn't know what it was.

"Just ignore it." She whispered to herself calmly, directing her gaze toward the couch. Along its pale brown surface was the journal. In spite of the darkness that seemed to hang in the air, it shimmered softly. Before, she had enjoyed that quality. Now, it was something to be feared. The book was far from normal. Mai had to give herself some credit; she had come to terms with that when she first laid eyes on the thing. That was why she had chosen to buy it in the first place.

"I'm just going to grab the journal." Mai whispered, pausing to look around the apartment uneasily. She wasn't entirely sure whether she was talking to herself, or the ominous presence within the room. "I'll grab it and leave. There's no harm in doing that. It will all be okay."

In order to reassure herself, Mai nodded and continued moving toward the sofa. When the journal was in her hands, she couldn't help but release a worried sigh. The shadows had returned. They danced around the corners of her vision and slid along the walls. In the short time that she had been in her apartment, the room had somehow become darker. It was sort of funny; without light, shadows couldn't be seen in the first place. With that in mind, Mai wasn't certain how she could see the creatures at all. She supposed it was a special gift the paranormal seemed to have. Even in the most mundane of places, ghostly creatures had the ability to appear in the most disturbing way.

" _Read._ " She heard a voice hiss in the room. Mai jumped, her eyes quickly scanning the apartment. It was difficult to determine where the voice had came from, but in the end it didn't matter. The entity, whatever it was, still had the ability to be incredibly worrisome. Biting her lips, Mai stared at the journal between her fingertips. She brushed to cover lightly, wondering if her plan would still be effective.

" _Read, little girl._ "

Despite the obvious fear that filtered throughout Mai's veins, she couldn't help but take an interest to what the shadow had said. 'Little girl' was the favoured words of choice when the creature chose to communicate with her. It was consistent and used repetitively. There was a chance it could somehow relate to the journal, or perhaps the entity itself. Of course, there was a possibility that she could be reading the situation too deeply, but Mai was willing to take a bet.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Mai pulled the journal open. The pages crinkled and shook between her fingertips. It took everything for her to look down and examine the writing that had suddenly cursed her life. It was obvious that the passage would contain frightful information. All the others had been disturbing to some extent. Closing her eyes, Mai took a deep breath. She forced herself to look down at the paper and confront her fate. Immediately a confused expression shifted across her features. She pulled the journal forward hesitantly, her whole body beginning to quiver like a leaf. There was no writing—no cursive scrawled across the paper in any shape or form. The page was blank and perfectly pristine. Unfortunately, the longer Mai stared at the paper, the faster everything seemed to change. Like some sort of magic trick, a single drop of blood appeared.

"What?" She whispered, her voice cracking in fear. Mai slowly reached forward and touched the red smear. It was impossible to suppress a surprised shriek. The blood was real. Copper, a smell she despised, was steadily creeping up her nose. She could feel the wetness between her fingertips—smell the fluid in the air. Her fingers were stained, completely contaminated as the paper became increasingly saturated with what could only be blood. Droplets fell to the floor, slowly creating a small pool on the ground.

" _You didn't play._ " A voice suddenly hissed in the air. Mai felt something pull roughly on her ear. She cried out as pain, the kind that sends unpleasant shivers down your head and toes, shot down the left side of her neck. When something clattered against the floorboards, she didn't even bother to look down. Mai knew what it was. Her earring, a small and beautiful little pearl, had been violently removed and tossed on the ground. It appeared as though her suspicions were still correct. The previous journal entries were still occurring in real life.

With a mixture of anger and fear, Mai's eyes shot to the shadow. It was moving towards her again, obviously intent on creating another injury. Fortunately, she wasn't planning on becoming a victim again. With the skill of an athlete, she snapped the journal shut and whipped it in the direction of the creature. It clattered against the wall loudly. Satisfaction filtered throughout Mai's body. She truthfully hoped that the book had been torn to pieces. If the spine had cracked or somehow become a piece of rubble, she would be utterly content. Unfortunately, her actions were not successful. They only served to infuriate the presence within the room.

" _That hurts our feelings, little girl._ "

Mai's breath hitched as the creature suddenly barrelled towards her petite form. She dived towards the ground, taking shelter among the dust and blood that decorated the floorboards. Despite her efforts, Mai didn't remain unscathed. White dots exploded across her vision as she registered pain along her right forearm. She may have been scared—absolutely terrified, but the longer she encountered the creature the more she discovered about her situation. It had to be worth it in the end.

Clutching her arm, Mai rolled to her feet and glared at the creature defiantly. "I'm not afraid of you."

Laughter, a kind of high pitched gurgle, trickled throughout the air. " _You should be._ "

Listening to the creature was something Mai refused to do. She merely scowled and reached for something to whip at what appeared to be the shadow's head. That would buy her some time to get out. Of course she would have to grab the journal again, but in the end it really wasn't that far away. When Mai's hand quickly came into contact with a candle, she couldn't help but grimace in pain. The injury to her arm and neck burned. She could only imagine what the issue was. She refused to look as that would only waste time.

Before she could change her mind, Mai threw the candle with as much force as she could summon from her arm. As it exploded against the wall, she sprinted towards the journal and quickly scooped it up in her arms. Breathing heavily, she slipped out of her living room leaving a trail of destruction in her wake. She had knocked over a chair and an assortment of other items in order to leave some sort of barrier between her and the phantom. There was a small chance that her efforts would be effective, but Mai didn't care all that much. She only had one goal in mind; to get out of her apartment and into the prying eyes of the community.

Another chair crashed to the ground as she ran towards the door. When the shadow chose to assault her again, Mai dove towards the wall, wincing as her shoulder came into contact with the edge of a shelf. Despite the heat that flared across her arm, she chose to keep running forward. In reality, it was the only choice she had. The light from the hallway shone like the sun. It was her motivation and salvation. Without it, there was no way her feet would obey her commands. She would likely freeze in fear and become nothing but a young child. She couldn't afford to revert to that ridiculous kind of mental state. It was crucial that Mai remained absolutely calm and focused. Otherwise she would slowly crumble to the floor.

"Almost there." She wheezed loudly as oxygen skimmed past her lips. Before she could leave her cursed apartment, Mai spared one look over her shoulder. Unfortunately that was her undoing. Her body, once moving at an exemplary pace, suddenly came to an abrupt halt. It was like a brick wall had suddenly appeared in the middle of the hallway. One second Mai was moving, the next she found herself sprawled across the floor.

Coughing breathlessly, she forced herself to see what had barricaded her destination. In a matter of seconds, Mai knew that she had made the wrong choice. A shadow, the tallest she had ever seen, had somehow blocked her path. It towered above her body like a skyscraper. With every passing thought, it seemed to get bigger, consuming the light that continued to filter through the open doorway. A silent scream found its way out of Mai's mouth. She was trapped. There was no way that she could leave or even run from her fear if the only exit was blocked.

" _No._ " She managed to croak while scuttling backwards along the floor. Her hands reached blindly for something—anything to use as a weapon. When her fingers came into contact with a vase, Mai didn't even think twice. With whatever strength that remained in her body, she jumped to her feet and smashed the object against the creature's hidden face. Glass flew everywhere. She could feel small fragments brush against the skin of her neck and arms. It clinked against the floorboards, singing a haunting tune. For the first time all day, Mai actually felt satisfied. There was a small chance that she actually did some damage. The shadow, once a cruel and terrifying figure, was now crumpled along the floor. It looked helpless and alone.

Before she could revel in her victory however, loud cackles filled the air. Mai's heart sunk. The laughter, a sound that seemed to seep into her skin, was almost happy. It was sickening. Flexing her fingertips, she cautiously looked over her left shoulder. Confusion quickly filtered through her veins. Seconds ago, Mai could have sworn that her home was completely dark. Now light, as bright as any sunny day, filtered through the windows. If she squinted it was possible to see clouds and a pale blue sky. The sudden change really made no sense. If there was a possible explanation, Mai didn't want to think about it.

Turning back towards the doorway, she squeezed her eyes shut. A sickening feeling was beginning to creep up her throat. Her stomach churned with the possibility that something had gone incredibly wrong. There was only one reason why the creature had laughed and abruptly faded from existence. Once again sucking back her fear, Mai met the problem head on. She directed her gaze on the phantom that was lying along the floor. Unfortunately that was another mistake.

For the first time since returning to her apartment, Mai screamed. The funny part was, that she couldn't stop. For what felt like hours, she shrieked at the top of her lungs. It was impossible to be silent. Her voice may have been hoarse, but that didn't matter in the end. She was utterly terrified. Fear rushed through her veins and slowly ripped her body apart. When Mai's knees hit the floor, she groaned, releasing a sound fit for a small child. She slowly rocked forward and grabbed fistfuls of her short, auburn hair. The creature on the ground was not a phantom or ghost. It wasn't a figure from Mai's imagination or turbulent dreams. Quivering, she reached out a bloodstained hand and touched the figure who was sprawled across the ground.

" _Sadao._ " Mai choked between panicked gasps for air.


	12. Unwanted

_"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."  
_ ~Joe Klaas

* * *

 

_Chapter Twelve_

Unwanted

Hospitals were disgusting places. Sure, they were all shiny and clean, but that didn't mean that evil refused to lurk in the nooks and crannies of every room or closet. People were either sick, injured, or dying. Families were mourning, kids were screaming, and nurses were sprinkling overdoses of kindness on every poor, unfortunate soul. There was nothing to like about hospitals. Not even one bit. If there was, Mai sure as hell didn't see it. She was blind to whatever redeeming qualities medical centres offered daily. If not that, then she refused to see it. They only threw blankets and nice words in her direction. In Mai's opinion, hospitals were a waste of time. If she had it her way, she would be anywhere else. Unfortunately, the choice was not hers to make. Life had chosen to whip a curve ball her direction. She could only wait it out and go along with the ride.

"Miss Taniyama? You have a visitor."

The nurse barely existed in Mai's point of view. She was more of a phantom than an actual human being. During her stay at the hospital, the woman would shift in and out of her room, occasionally popping her head through the door. If she caught Mai doing anything but sleeping, the world would suddenly collapse. The nurse would nag, whine, and threaten to prescribe some form of medication to induce a coma-like state of existence. On more than one occasion, she had attempted to force an assortment of colourful pills down Mai's throat. She completely refused to swallow anything in the fear that something would catch her unawares. So instead of recuperating from the attack, she continued to act paranoid and utterly delusional—at least in the perspective of those watching from afar.

"Uh, Miss Taniyama? Do I have your permission to allow the visitor in?" the nurse asked in a sickly sweet tone.

"Yes," Mai managed to reply, although her response sounded forced. She didn't mean to act grumpy, but the lack of sleep she had was simply maddening. Dealing with a visitor would be a challenge. Plenty of doctors and medical personnel had filtered throughout her room, but a friend was something else entirely. Maintaining an aura of calm wasn't even a possibility at this point.

"Excellent," the woman droned before waving the visitor into the room, "I'm glad that you're well enough to accept such an invitation."

A lopsided smile managed to weave its way across Mai's mouth, but that was the extent of her enthusiasm. There was no energy available to feign happiness or excitement. If there was, she wasn't exactly sure where it was being stored. Probably in some deep, dark place within the recesses of her mind or soul. Either way, it wasn't going to be used any time soon. Maybe if she was being attacked again, but Mai had her doubts.

"Thank you," she heard a familiar voice mumble, "I appreciate your help. I've been having difficulty finding her room for awhile."

The nurse turned around and smiled grimly. "Well, with patients like this you can expect some level of prioritization. She has been moved around several times. I'm certain you understand why."

The rest of the conversation evaded Mai's hearing capabilities. It seemed as though luck was not on her side. It would have been nice to have some sort of insight into the medical world. There had to be some reward for dealing with hospital madness and ridiculous people. If not, that would just be incredibly disappointing. Sitting around and knowing nothing was pure torture.

"Thanks again," the visitor said softly.

"No problem. Just tread carefully around that young woman. She's still unstable."

" _Unstable,_ " Mai mocked doubtfully, glaring at the nurse as she vanished from her line of sight. Half of what the woman said was complete nonsense. She probably wouldn't even recognize the definition of unstable if it suddenly punched her in the face. Most people didn't have the ability to accept the extraordinary, let alone the paranormal. Mai had never brought her experiences to light of course, but the fact remained. Not every living and breathing human being was clinically insane.

"You're talking out loud, kiddo."

Mai held her breath and shifted her gaze toward the doorway. It was almost impossible to accept the person who stood there. After missing the meeting, she could hardly find it within herself to forgive him. He had been her confidant—her friend for so long. Without his comforting presence, she had grown accustomed to working, living, and breathing alone. Like so many other things in her life, Mai had been abandoned. She wore that scar like a permanent badge.

"Hoshou," she breathed, an air of frustration surrounding her body, "what are you doing here?

He slid into her room cautiously, his warm brown eyes meeting her own. Despite the time that had passed he looked very much the same, although fatigue slinked around his body like a lazy cat. "I am visiting you. That's what the nurse said, right?"

"That nurse is psychotic. I generally make a point not to believe what she says."

A small smile consumed the edges of his mouth. "Psychotic or not, she was right. I'm definitely here to visit you."

"Because the hospital called. You're my emergency contact, correct?" Mai stated hotly, ignoring the kindness Hoshou released like sunlight.

Sadness exploded across his features like a bomb. It was hard to comprehend, as the man was normally didn't allow her words to wound him. Then again, on any normal occasion, Mai's words weren't tinged with fire. Their conversations weren't weapons one could wield as easily as a sword. It was hurtful—the reality of what she was doing to herself. She already had the injuries of another man under her belt. Claiming the health of another person was something that would be unforgivable. Swallowing her pride, Mai beaconed Hoshou to sit by her side. There was a chair in the corner that could be put to use.

"I'm sorry," she began quietly, "I haven't been myself in awhile."

He nodded, although the remnants of hurt still lingered within his eyes. "You haven't been sleeping."

A reply never slipped through Mai's lips. She only ran a hand over her eyes, willing them to remain open. The situation with the journal had become serious. There were a variety of reasons why she remained awake, one of them being fear. The other was closely tied to her mind. Thoughts barrelled through her head as fast as lightening every night. Some had to do with the shadows, others revolved around the elusive, yet mysterious E.D. Finding a solution to her little ghost problem was her number one priority. Sleep, as important as it was, did not matter in the slightest. It only served to waste valuable time.

"Are you in pain?" Hoshou asked.

"A little bit," Mai replied honestly, sending a weary glance towards her body. The wounds she had acquired were particularly nasty. The shadow, whatever it was, had somehow cut both her neck and arm. Each laceration required an assortment of stitches, all of which she could barely count on all of her fingers.

"You're certainly a tough one."

"Maybe," she began quietly, "maybe not."

She should have been tough from all of her experience, yet felt like a foolish child. After the attack, she had completely broken down. Sadao almost died due to her crazy antics. If she hadn't found her phone, he could have suffered severely. Despite begging the doctors and nurses to see him, the answer remained the same; a resounding no. All she knew was that he had a broken nose, concussion, and an injury to one of his eyes. From what she could gather, his parents had been furious. They had almost pressed charges, but due to the confusion of the situation, nothing detrimental had occurred. Mai remained unscathed financially, but damaged emotionally. At the moment, she hated herself.

"From what I heard, you were pretty tough, Mai. You survived a burglary. That takes some guts."

Confusion danced throughout her head. "A burglary? Is that what they told you?"

Something flashed in Hoshou's eyes, a flicker of panic perhaps, but Mai was barely able to detect it. All she knew was that he was hiding something. The man was far too kind—it wasn't in his nature to conceal important information. There was a chance that the knowledge was unsatisfactory, but she was willing to take that chance. So much in her life had already decided to flip upside down. As the hours had slipped by within the hospital, Mai had prepared herself for the worst. Sadao had been the object of her worry for quite some time after all. His situation had the potential to become atrocious.

"What the medical staff told me is something that can wait for another time. Right now you need to focus on healing. University can't wait forever, right? If you don't get back soon all of your school work is going to pile up."

Ignoring Hoshou's lighthearted voice, Mai crossed her arms. The movement was painful, but it was necessary to illustrate her seriousness. "I have been in this building for too long. If you're my friend, you would tell me what I have the right to know."

Perhaps Mai was being too rough. Whatever the reason, Hoshou narrowed his eyes. "You aren't ready to hear it."

"If it involves me, I most certainly am."

"Rest first. You need a clear head before you hear what has to be said."

"I can promise you that my head won't be perfectly clear anytime soon. Please just tell me what's going on," Mai asked in a tense tone.

"That's exactly what I would like to know. How did you end up in a hospital of all places? Why is your boyfriend in emergency care? Is there a reason you keep getting kicked out of class?" Hoshou suddenly exploded, although his voice remained completely calm.

The conversation had abruptly taken a turn that Mai didn't enjoy at all. Rather than visit, Hoshou had chosen to set up some sort of interrogation. The truth was, she wasn't ready to reveal any information unless it was on her terms. Silence would be required, as well as a form of understanding that could only be found in the closet of friends. Anything else, and Mai knew she would just get angry. She would tell Hoshou about the attack eventually of course, but before all of that could occur the conditions of her situation had to be known.

"It's not your responsibility to worry about me," she said quietly.

"Mai—"

"You're not my father."

Those words had a profound effect on Hoshou's countenance. One second he seemed worried, the next devoid of life. The warm glow found within his eyes seemed to fade and become nothing but a weary flicker. Guilt slowly trickled into Mai's veins. Her intention had never been to harm, but here she was, wielding words as though they were poison. Moments before she had chosen to avoid injuring another human being, be it physically or emotionally. Now she had reversed her so called claim. Frowning, Mai ran a tired hand throughout her hair. Perhaps she was truly going crazy.

"I know you didn't mean that, so I'll forgive you."

Mai barely managed to nod. Self-loathing had somehow stolen her ability to speak.

"How about a deal?" Hoshou asked cautiously, "I will tell you what I know, if you chose to do the same for me."

"That sounds suspiciously like a game."

A tiny, almost invisible grin appeared along Hoshou's mouth. He finally snatched the chair leaning against the far side of her bed and sat down. "I suppose it's like a game. The rules are simple enough. A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye. What do you say?"

Fiddling with her blanket, Mai chose to meet Hoshou's gaze. "Promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Have an open mind," Mai began, slowly recalling what she had told Mrs. Ojai days ago, "and try to believe me."

"I've seen too many weird and uncanny things in my life. I think I can handle whatever you have to say."

Half of the time Mai didn't understand why Hoshou relinquished his trust so easily. With a simple breath of air, he managed to accept the most ridiculous stories and ideas. It was almost unfair. Every other person she seemed to encounter refused to acknowledge the existence of paranormal entities. Sadao, Mrs. Ojai, and countless others didn't see the truth, even when it was being waved in front of their face. Hoshou's experience in the field obviously played a role in his easy-going attitude, which said a lot about his personality. The man was willing to explore new concepts and listen to those who had so much to offer in terms of creativity. It was admirable, but she had a feeling it would backfire on him one day. Time would only tell how long he could remain care-free until someone slapped him in the face with some sort of lie.

"If that's the case," Mai began slowly, "I'm willing to agree to your terms."

"Excellent. Seeing as I came up with this little idea, I'll go first," Hoshou said while flashing a brilliant smile. It was still broken along the edges, but was better than a frown.

"Fine. What would you like to know?"

"Why did you end up here? In a hospital, Mai?"

A low groan slipped through her lips. "You cheated. That's a loaded question."

For the second time Hoshou refused to speak, which was more than enough in Mai's opinion. He only sent her an expectant gaze, one filled with parental authority. It was more than annoying. She may have agreed with the terms of the game, but if loopholes had been discussed there was a large, if not infinite chance that she would have immediately backed out. Fair play was a democratic right.

"I can't answer something like that."

"Unfortunately, you agreed to the rules of the game. I asked an appropriate question. You must answer it to the best of your ability, otherwise you will be cheating."

Mai sent a dark scowl in Hoshou's direction. "Does lying count as cheating?"

"You bet," he replied, large amounts of satisfaction evident in his airy tone.

Annoyance was something Mai was beginning to despise. As soon as it seemed to disappear, it returned with a fiery vengeance. Like most of her moods, it had been caused due to a lack of sleep. Regrettably, that was something she couldn't always use as an excuse. Eventually she would have to own up to her obvious lack of manners.

"I am beginning to really wish you weren't here," she muttered under her breath. Hoshou had obviously heard her statement, but didn't appear to have the energy to care. Even he knew that she was being sarcastic.

"Just get it over with. The sooner you answer the question, the faster you will be able to answer one of your own."

"It's not that easy. It's a very long story."

A grim smile appeared along his mouth. "I expected that it would be. Go on. From what I recall, you have always had a knack for telling tall tales."

"This isn't a joke," Mai said, pausing to fiddle with the edge of her blanket again, "everything about this situation is serious. I still don't know if telling you anything is a good idea. There could be a consequence to my actions. Hoshou, I have to be prepared."

Again, he looked weary. Worry, the kind that created illness, stretched across his features like some sort of disease. It wasn't appealing in the slightest. The whole expression sent shivers down Mai's spine. Life was already hard enough; she could barely detect the motives and passions of those surrounding her. Hoshou was supposed to be her friend. She didn't want to consider him as a possible enemy as well.

"Telling no one about your situation hasn't exactly turned out gloriously, Mai. I know you value independence, but look at you," he paused to point at her arm, "a cut here, another bruise there. You're a mess. Let me try to help. That's what I do best."

An image of Sadao flashed within Mai's mind. Wincing, she shook her head. "I don't want another person to get hurt because of me."

"No one got hurt because of you. Sometimes things just get out of hand"

"You don't understand. It _was_ my fault," she whispered, her eyes beginning to burn with unshed tears, "if I hadn't read the journal, none of this would have happened."

"What journal?"

Frowning deeply, Mai starred at the far corner of the room. Beside an abandoned shelf sat her bag. Within one of its many pockets, sat the journal. Before paramedics filtered throughout her apartment, she had managed to jam the blasted book into her backpack. If there was anything she didn't want to do it was deal with the journal, but leaving it in her home wasn't a possibility. If she was ever going to solve the problem, it needed to be nearby. That was undesirable of course, so Mai had asked the nurses to keep her bag within running distance. There was no way she would be jogging anytime soon, but at least the book was within her line of vision. It served as a reminder for what had to be done.

"Mai, what journal?" Hoshou asked again, slowly placing a hand along her shoulder.

"It's haunted," she managed to say in a weary tone.

"Haunted? That can't be possible—"

"Didn't I say to have an open mind?"

"It's an inhabitant object. You would need proof—a truckload of it, just for the very idea to make sense."

"I do have proof!" Mai exploded angrily, "A movie store was destroyed, my apartment was ripped to pieces, and Sadao is currently in an emergency room! I was attacked! After everything we have seen together, how can you not believe me?"

"I never said that I didn't believe you."

"Well, it sure sounds like it."

Hoshou pinched the bridge of his nose. "Anything paranormal generally tends to be a bit crazy. After working with SPR, you have to understand my need for facts."

Grumbling, Mai yanked her bedsheets over the edge of her chin. For the fist time in ages, she wanted to hide. Sure, her behaviour would mimic that of a child, but it wasn't like everyone in the hospital didn't think she was one anyways.

"You sound like Naru," she managed to mumble under her breath, "if not him, than all of the doctors I've suddenly been forced to interact with."

At that comment, Hoshou's face paled drastically. It would have been criminal not to suspect anything from his behaviour. Narrowing her eyes, Mai slowly peeled his hand away from his shoulder. "What are you trying to hide? I answered your question and it's only right if you return the favour."

"I don't think you're ready."

"No backing out. That would be a clear violation of the rules."

"That's unfair," Hoshou stated pathetically, repeating her previous words, "you asked a loaded question."

Raising her eyebrows in contempt, Mai could only meet his unhappy gaze as a worthy advisory. "A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye."

"You won't like what I have to say."

"Well, I guess you had better get it over with."

For a moment, Hoshou remained completely silent. His eyes lingered towards the exit, the windows—anything that didn't remotely resemble Mai's face. What he had to say was obviously unfortunate. Before she had considered asking for the good news first, but now that seemed utterly foolish. There was no good news. The world wasn't filled with unicorns, rainbows, cupcakes, and smiles. Lately, it only seemed to be consumed by a reckless sort of evil. That should have been expected of course, but despite everything she had been through, Mai wasn't the kind of person to jump to conclusions. In her mind, hope was something that existed.

"What part do you want first?" he asked quietly.

"You will have to specify. I have no idea what you're talking about."

For the second time in the day, Hoshou pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you want the part about Naru or the doctors?"

Mai had to bite her tongue to keep from blatantly screaming some inexplicable comment. Rudeness had never come naturally to her, but today it was impossible not to feel betrayed in some way or another. Once again, Naru had somehow squeezed himself into her life. She didn't know how, why, or what joy he found in torturing her mentally. Whatever his reason, she was going to figure it out. If that meant she had to crawl in the deep crevasses of his mind, it would be done.

"The doctors," she forced herself to say. It may have came as a surprise to Hoshou, but there was no way she wanted to hear about his activities first.

"Before I say anything, I want you to know that I don't think you're crazy. Understand?"

All she could do was nod.

"Good," Hoshou grumbled under his breath, "that's what I want to hear. Mai, when you entered the hospital I knew about it immediately. Like you said, I am listed as your first emergency contact."

"And?" she questioned in an angry tone.

"I didn't hear much from anyone at first. All I got was bits and pieces. When I bumped into Sadao's parents however, I got a better idea. What they told me was surprising. Apparently a burglar had gotten into your home. Sadao had come in to check on you and everything went around the bend. They initially wanted to press charges, but the doctors changed their mind."

"That never happened. There was no burglary."

"I know, but that doesn't matter. You wanted to know about the doctors, right?" Hoshou asked impatiently.

"Yes."

Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. "Mai, they think you're very sick. From what I can gather, the doctors believe you have some sort of mental disorder. The note in the cafe, your behaviour in class, the paranoia, isolation, and fear—it fits together really well. The event in your apartment just sums up what they want to believe. You're clinically insane apparently."

Disbelief slid throughout Mai's veins like a drug. Laughter, the kind that is impossible to control, bubbled up her body and exploded into the air. "That's ridiculous."

"Can you really blame them?"

"So it's my fault, is it?"she hissed angrily.

Frowning, Hoshou waved his hands, clearly illustrating panic. "No, I never said that. Based on everything you've been through it just makes sense that way. It's ridiculous in our eyes, but to a bunch of doctors it's the only logical way everything can be explained."

Running a hand over her face, Mai couldn't help but feel like a fool. For weeks, she had been trying to protect others from the idea of the paranormal and somehow it had backfired. She was now sitting in a hospital surrounded by absolute guilt, pain, and fear. If she didn't know any better, she was beginning to fall apart. Normally she was a strong person, but misfortune could only take someone so far.

Sucking in a quivering breath, she attempted to remain absolutely calm. Tears of frustration threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she refused to let them fall. "What about the second part?"

Hoshou sighed deeply. "While you were being treated in the emergency room I was given your phone. Don't ask me why, the doctors just told me that you wouldn't let go of it. I didn't mean to pry into your business, but I could't help but notice that Naru had called several times."

"You should learn how to mind your own business, Hoshou," Mai sniffled, although it hardly sounded threatening.

Ignoring her, he only continued to speak. "I barely recognized the number, if you want to know the honest truth."

"So you called?" she guessed vaguely.

"I had to. Something seemed wrong about the situation. Naru doesn't seem like the kind of guy to suddenly appear out of the blue. His number was backlogged into your phone history. I had to know why, Mai. Please understand."

She held her breath, fighting the tears and rage that continued to pry at her solid exterior. "Well, I hope it was worth it."

"That remains to be seen," a voice suddenly said loudly.

Another jolt of confusion slid throughout Mai's veins. Rather than meet her questioning gaze, Hoshou had chosen to stare at the door. He was on edge; his whole body had become a ball of defensive energy in a matter of seconds. It was so incredibly father-like. If she had known any better, Mai would have told him to cut it out, but like usual she remained silent. She was too stunned to even breathe, let alone formulate a response to his behaviour. Her reason was perfectly clear.

Oliver Davis, the infamous narcissist, was standing in her doorway. It was difficult to guess why, but that didn't matter in the least. A man that had been gone for half a decade was standing in her doorway and Mai couldn't decide whether to be overjoyed, angry, or absolutely passive. Too many emotions were flitting throughout her head. It was impossible to think. All she could do was stare at the figure who had changed her life so long ago.

"Are you going to talk or stare at me like a starstruck teen?"

And so it began, Mai thought dryly. Her first encounter with Naru was going to turn into a giant fight.


	13. From Here to There

" _Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."  
_ ~Dr. Seuss

* * *

 

_Chapter Thirteen_

From Here to There

There were an infinite number of things Mai wanted to say. She could feel all sorts of words and phrases slip across her tongue. Some were of a questionable nature, others more kind in tone. It was sort of like tasting a fine wine; the flavours would come and go, but eventually unite together to form one colossal symphony of colour and vibrancy. It was simply delicious, understanding the beauty of words she could possibly release into the air. Exploring each option was almost enjoyable, if not for the expression plastered across her adversary's face. Whatever terms she chose to use would be of no use to her in the end. Naru, the man who ceaselessly ran across her mind, did not care for any insult or welcome she could offer.

"I thought I told you to wait outside," Hoshou hissed, cutting through the silence as if it were nothing but a thin slice of toast.

It was impossible to miss how Naru's eyes blazed from across the room. In fact, it was impossible to miss the man at all, seeing as his presence stuck out like a sore thumb. His arrogance and narcissism seemed to float within the air. It was truly a dizzying spectacle, one Mai could never bring herself to appreciate. Long ago she may have missed his fiery antics, but now they only served to create a mild sort of rage. Suddenly making an appearance in her hospital room was an event she refused to accept. If he had any sort of reason for an abrupt arrival, she didn't want to hear it. Whatever kindness she once felt for the man had slipped away at the moment.

"You never specified where," Naru managed to reply, barely meeting Hoshou's frustrated gaze. To Mai's surprise, he had chosen to direct his icy stare at her stationary form. She made an attempt to cringe, but failed entirely. It ended up looking like she was suppressing a giant sneeze.

"I thought it was rather obvious."

Irritation flickered throughout Naru's eyes. "Even the best of us fail to communicate accurately. Don't feel too badly."

"I'm not the problem here," Hoshou said, barely attempting to conceal a frown.

"That's correct. If I recall, Mai has claimed that title."

Her name sounded foreign on his lips. Like acid, it burned her very skin, revealing wounds that she had always intended to remain closed. Understanding the emotions that moved throughout her mind and body was a daunting task. In Mai's opinion, there was just too much going on in her little head. It was literally impossible to connect the dots between every sensation that flooded across her skin. If she did, the outcome certainly wasn't going to be pleasing or desirable for anyone involved.

Casting a worried glance in her direction, Hoshou sighed. "You do realize that you have an unfortunate knack for sticking your nose in other people's business, right?"'

"A knack you both seem to share," Mai grumbled, biting at the edge of her lip to keep from saying anything more.

"So you admit to being an absolute hindrance. I never thought that I'd see the day," Naru interjected before choosing to remain silent. It wouldn't last long however; Mai could quickly feel hints of pure rage trickle throughout her limbs.

"Hoshou," she began in a tightly controlled manner, "I think it's time I know what's _really_ going on here."

"Mai, it's nothing—"

"That's not what I asked to hear. Whatever game we're playing is now officially over. I've had enough. If you don't tell me why that _idiot_ is standing in my doorway, I'll prove to you why those ridiculous doctors think I'm crazy," Mai cut in smoothly, ensuring her voice remained absolutely level.

"Insults will get you nowhere, Taniyama. In the end, you're just digging your own grave."

Using every shard of bravery in her body, she met Naru's demeaning stare. "I don't remember asking you to talk."

"I wasn't aware that I had to be asked. Last I recall this was a free country."

"Well if you don't shut your mouth it won't be my grave I'm digging," she hissed, once again directing her attention towards her other friend.

Hoshou only looked at Mai with a combination of fear and disappointment. The expression was hardly threatening, but deep inside she knew it to be utterly sincere. With Naru's sudden presence, her behaviour was beginning to slide off of the deep end. One second she was calm, the next completely perplexed and filled to the brim with an indescribable anger. It was tiring. No one, especially herself, asked to be tortured in such a way. There were plenty of proactive things she could be doing with her time. Seeing Sadao for instance; perhaps she would finally gain some peace of mind knowing that he was alright.

"Unfortunately I can't really tell you what's going on. It's not my story to tell," he finally managed to say softly, almost forcing Mai to understand the depth of his confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked, clenching her fists between the sheets scattered across her bed.

"I have no clue why he is here. If anything, I thought you'd know."

Mai scoffed. "Why would I know why Naru is here?"

"The phone calls!" Hoshou exclaimed in a frustrated tone, "perhaps he told you what's going on? I don't know! I'm not a genius!"

Releasing a quivering breath, Mai ran a hand throughout her short hair. It was almost impossible to think. How Hoshou even dared to think she would know anything about Naru's presence blew her mind. She was certainly not a genius either, although she would give almost anything to have that sort of gift. Life would definitely be easier. Solving the mystery surrounding the journal would become something of a game. Every thought that slithered within her head would be one step closer to the finish line. There would be no reason to pull the people she loved into her mess. Everything, even the little things, could remain the same.

"You do realize that it's rude—"

"I didn't say that you could talk!" Mai exploded before she could control herself. In the time that Naru had chosen to speak, her cheeks had slowly become a vibrant shade of red. It was as if all of the anger, frustration, and rage she had conjured was trickling to the top of her head.

In an instant, something deadly slipped throughout Naru's gaze. It was a flicker—a mere flash of some sort of unidentifiable emotion that suddenly seemed to exist. Mai didn't know what is was, but she was willing to find out. Even after five years, she could remain utterly clueless to the depth of Naru's own personal sort of distaste. Some would call it foolish, but deep down inside she found it amusing. Out of all the people in the world, she alone had the ability to tug at the strings that held his sanity together. If he still had the courage to annoy her after all this time, she would spit it back right at him. Hoshou's words continued to echo in her mind; a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye.

"I don't take orders from you," Naru hissed angrily.

"Oh, that's right! I almost forgot," Mai yelled in sarcastic tone, "the almighty narcissist doesn't take orders from anybody! He's far too righteous for such petty demands!"

Glaring, Naru was quick to fire a reply. "I don't recall being the righteous one."

"Is your memory beginning to fail by any chance? After five years, one can only expect some brain damage."

"I'm not the one lying in a hospital bed, Taniyama."

Pure outrage filtered throughout Mai's body. It had been ages since anyone had elicited that kind of response from her. Normally, she had her temper under control. Today however, it was different. Since Hoshou's arrival her patience had been wearing thin. It was only a matter of time before she really lost it. Like a rock, her self-restraint was slowly eroding away into crumbs, mere specks of what used to be. There was no way she could remain a model citizen forever.

Ripping her sheets back and ignoring the pain in her arm, Mai forced herself to stand on both feet. "Maybe we could change places? It's the least you deserve!"

A frown pulled at the edges of Naru's mouth. It wasn't the kind she normally encountered on a daily basis. The expression, like most that occasionally stretched across his face, was filled with something she couldn't detect. No one else would ever see it, but for some reason she did.

"I wouldn't go around throwing punches if I were you."

"And why is that?" she said roughly, ignoring how Hoshou slowly moved in her direction.

"You would be acting insane. Not that you weren't in the first place, but I'm certain the doctors here wouldn't enjoy such a disagreeable spectacle."

Reeling back, Mai could just barely hide the pain Naru inflicted with his comment. "I'm not crazy!"

"Clearly," he inserted with a disgusted glance. The expression on his face plainly revealed his most intimate thoughts. Naru thought she was completely and utterly delusional. By the looks of it, Hoshou was beginning to agree with him as well.

Grabbing her face, Mai shook her head. "I'm not the crazy one here. You decided to jump on a plane all the way to Japan just to see—"

"Don't kid yourself," Naru quickly interjected, "I didn't come here to see you. Do I look like the kind of person to willingly do that?"

"No," Mai growled, her eyes filled with fire. She was about to move forward and try to stomp on Naru's pathetic looking face, but a hand tightly gripped her shoulder. Quickly realizing what was about to be done, she pulled forward, but in the end was far too late. Hoshou, once incredibly silent, was now interfering with the conversation and her movements. With his figure standing right in her path, it was impossible to continue with her plan. All that could be done, was remain completely still. That way she could think over her actions and decide what really could be accomplished.

"Enough, Mai. If you do anything else, and I mean anything, your stitches are going to open up. Do you really want that?" Hoshou said in a voice filled with warning.

"No," she managed to grumble angrily. Being forced to remain still was something she was beginning to despise.

"Good. Naru, I think it's time you leave. You've done enough damage for one day."

For the third time, an odd expression seemed to slide across his face. Like usual, Hoshou didn't notice it. He just looked at Naru expectantly with a hint of frustration gleaming in his eyes. It was unnerving. For a second Mai could almost trick herself into thinking it was something other than anger and rage that fuelled his actions. The man was mysterious in many ways. Still, she couldn't allow herself to give him the benefit of the doubt. Naru hardly deserved it after his nonsensical arrival and behaviour. Perhaps he should be put in a mental hospital of all places. That would make sense because he was acting just as insane as Mai herself.

Before Naru could even formulate a response, she quickly cut in. Mai was tired, worn down, and broken. Tears burned behind her eyelids, warning her that there was no way she could avoid a mental breakdown in the time to come. "No, you've both done enough damage for one day. I think it's time you all just leave."

Hurt flickered across Hoshou's gaze. "Mai, I don't think—"

"I don't care what you think," she growled in a frustrated tone, "didn't I tell you that I've had enough?"

"I'm only trying to help you figure things out," he said, sending a dark glare in Naru's direction.

"Well you haven't really done a good job."

Regretting the words that slipped out of her mouth was impossible now. Mai had gone too far. All she needed was peace, quiet, and time to herself. Anger may have been the emotion that currently dominated her thoughts, but in the future she was certain it was be something else. It didn't matter if that emotion was fear or sadness. All she knew was that it definitely wasn't going to radiate happiness. It would take quite a long time until she could push away her worries and allow the sunlight streaming through her window to warm her soul.

"Okay," Hoshou managed to say, although Mai could clearly see that her words had created a scar, "we will both leave if that makes you happy."

"I would appreciate it if you didn't come back either," Mai began, immediately continuing due to the blatant shock that spread across Hoshou's face, "at least until I've called."

He nodded wearily, the look in his eyes fading into a mere reflection of what used to be. Once again, he appeared to be incredibly tired. The rings underneath were enhanced as if he hadn't slept in days. Mai knew his appearance had been caused by an excessive amount of worry. Perhaps something else, but she would never be privy to that sort of knowledge. It wasn't something she really deserved to know in the first place.

"Goodbye," Mai ground out slowly. The statement had been directed towards Naru of course. After this visit, she didn't intend on seeing him again. The man was far too rude, arrogant, and inconsiderate. He didn't deserve her friendship or company.

Hoshou nodded again, before heading out the door. He sent a demanding glance at Naru, obviously signalling him to mimic his actions. It was surprising when he didn't resist. In a matter of seconds they had both bundled up, sucked away their rage and ridiculousness, and merely slipped out of the door. When it clicked shut, that was when Mai allowed herself to cry.

* * *

Naru was mad. It wasn't the kind of mind-numbing, abrupt, and evil sort of anger either. It was warm—a type of rage that could only be classified as a slow-build. With the slightest puff of air or fuel, his fury would begin to smoulder and smoke. The people around him couldn't tell that he was on the brink of exploding or crumbling to dust. All they could see was an immovable stone, a man devoid of any sort of weak emotion; aside from Mai that is. Upon waltzing into the room, her effect on his body was immediate. There she sat, bruises and cuts decorating her skin. Dark bags resided underneath her eyelids, the type that only existed when one refused to go to sleep. At the sight of her, Naru could feel himself slowly fall apart at the seams. The reason was simple: he was the cause of her despair. If he had warned someone or arrived to Japan at an accelerated rate, there was a change she wouldn't be perched in a hospital bed. His delayed reaction had costed something. Normally he wouldn't care, but for some reason he felt as though her blood was on his hands. It was impossible to shake the feeling.

Scowling, Naru clenched his fists. He was particularly skilled at ignoring Hoshou's frustrated gaze, which was quite an accomplishment. He had the ability to wallow in his own self-loathing while his 'friend' remained in the dark. It was satisfying knowing that he could feel anything he pleased without any interference. Mai usually messed with his thoughts, while Hoshou did nothing. Sure, the man probably guessed what was on his mind, but that was something every human being decided to do. Hoshou wasn't special, not in the least.

"Why didn't you wait outside?" he hissed angrily, sending Naru a very uncomfortable glare.

Maintaining a rather cold expression, Naru replied, repeating his previous statement. "You never specified where."

"You can put away your arrogant attitude. I don't particularly feel like dealing with it right now." Hoshou sighed angrily.

"Everyone around here doesn't want to deal with anything. I didn't realize that Japan was so immature."

A large frown immediately dominated Hoshou's features. "I don't think Japan is the immature one here."

Examining the edge of his shirt, Naru sighed. After five years he couldn't believe how everyone had changed. Normally Hoshou was relatively carefree, but right now he was acting like a worried father. It didn't suit him. More than anything, his behaviour was just completely annoying. Like a needle it slid under his skin, creating a kind of pain that was uncomfortable, unnecessary, and utterly undesirable. In his opinion it would be wonderful if it suddenly faded from existence. He already had two overbearing parents. Having another one would drive him up a wall. The stitches that held his insanity together were already frayed along the edges. If they snapped, even one, he would probably find himself in a hospital bed exactly like Mai.

"This situation hardly needs to be analyzed."

"I really think it does. You suddenly appear out of nowhere and expect no questions to be asked? That's ridiculous and you know it," Hoshou spat out, his voice echoing within the hall. Several nurses were poking around and Naru could only stare at them angrily. They were obviously attempting to overhear the conversation. Their pathetic lives probably never had any sort of stimulation whatsoever.

"There really is no reason to ask any questions. I'm in Japan due to a parapsychology conference," Naru hissed in frustration.

"Why are you here in a hospital then? Why did you call Mai?"

"What did she tell you?"

A loud groan exploded throughout the air. "Now you're avoiding questions? I really don't think you are in that sort of position!"

"Freedom of speech. Is that not a basic human right?"

The look on Hoshou's face evolved into that of a rabid creature. Throughout his entire existence Naru never believed that was even possible. His old friend was a man who was only capable of kindness. Hate, let alone absolute rage, was something he never realized was an option.

"You better explain something. I don't care how you do it, but right now I'm really starting to think that you somehow put Mai in a hospital bed. I'll let you know that's not something I'm going to take lightly," Hoshou said darkly, his eyes glistening with suspicion and rage.

"Is that what you truly believe?" Naru hissed, attempting to ignore the split second of guilt that spread throughout his body. He could hear the echoes of his own thoughts within Hoshou's statement. Seeing Mai in a dishevelled state was something he never planned. As a matter of fact, he never planned to return to Japan in the first place. It was ridiculous, but he felt exactly the same as every other human being within the hospital; angry, sad, and morose.

"At this point I'll believe in anything."

Naru chuckled ruefully. "Except Mai Taniyama's state of mind?"

"What are you getting at?"

Sighing, Naru met Hoshou's unpleasant gaze. "You refuse to believe that she's completely sane, correct?"

"That's not—"

"It's the truth, Hoshou," Naru interrupted in a calm tone, "we both know it."

For a moment he looked troubled. Naru shook his head. He supposed that five years was quite a long time. That was the only explanation he could offer towards Hoshou's behaviour. Long ago he would have believed anything Mai had to say, paranormal or not. Now he was, as Naru had observed, utterly conflicted. After all the man had seen, he was questioning the reality of whatever story Mai had to tell. He didn't know what is was, but his old friend obviously had a large distaste for it. Perhaps it was crazy and a tad insane. Unfortunately, Naru would never really know. He was inclined to accept any tall tale Mai had chosen to tell. In that way he would never understand what someone saw looking into the whole situation.

"Why do you care? I thought you were here for some meeting?" Hoshou asked, his gaze flickering to meet Naru's eyes. Perhaps he would see something enlightening there. Maybe some form of understanding would evolve from the glance. In the end, it wasn't anyone's place to know.

"I specialize in the paranormal. People like me tend to see things in a very different light. I was certain you did as well, but perhaps I was wrong."

A hint of guilt slipped across the edge of Hoshou's mouth. "It's difficult to place this situation in that category."

"Why not?"

"Everything can be explained," Hoshou replied.

"That's only one side of the story. People like the easy way out. Humanity is lazy, ignorant, and abusive to those they don't understand," Naru said in an elegant manner. He appraised his old friend quietly, wondering what on earth he was going to say.

"So you expect me to believe that you support Mai even when you haven't heard her story? You just fought with her! You called her crazy yourself!"

For a moment, Naru briefly closed his eyes. Since arriving to Japan three days earlier, he never expected to run into Hoshou. The phone call was one thing, but somehow coming across him was another. Like clockwork, he had bumped into him at a innocent looking coffee shop. They didn't talk for long—tidbits of information was shared, just enough that Naru was able to deduce what was going on with Mai. Visiting the hospital had been Lin's idea. It was supposed to be nothing, only a small chat with a few nurses in order to gather more knowledge about the extent of Mai's injuries, but that plan went right down the drain. Miraculously, Naru had encountered Hoshou again. He had been told to stay out of her room until something could be figured out. That _something_ had been entirely unknown, even now.

While standing in front of Hoshou after destroying every idea that once struck his fancy, Naru was stuck considering the consequences to his actions. Keeping his old friend in the dark would be completely impossible. The man was far too clever for any trick he would attempt to pull. Forcing him to look for answers would just be as detrimental. Hoshou had the uncanny ability to detect anything hidden underneath his nose. He was an excellent investigator, even after the time SPR had spent apart. Whether Naru liked it or not, he would find out exactly why he was there. It didn't matter if some fancy meeting was involved. Hoshou was blind to nothing he couldn't solve himself.

Sighing miserably, Naru ran a hand through his hair. "Perhaps I'm crazy myself."

"Huh?" Hoshou exclaimed in confusion. The man was tapping his fingers impatiently, obviously attempting to unravel Naru's thoughts. Fortunately he would never get there.

"What is Taniyama's story?" he asked innocently, a part of his brain wondering why he took such an uncanny interest in the young woman. In the end it would be his undoing. It had to be, otherwise he would have no excuse for such inane decisions.

Narrowing his eyes, Hoshou chose to answer. "A journal. She claims that a journal is somehow responsible for everything that has happened. It's difficult to believe, but that's all I managed to get out of her. Right now, Mai isn't exactly cooperative."

"I can see that."

"I'm certain you can."

Finally Naru made a decision within his mind. "I'm staying in a hotel several blocks away from the cafe. You remember the one I'm talking about?"

Surprise filtered throughout Hoshou's gaze. "The one I saw you in several days ago? Yeah, I remember it. Why?"

"Perhaps I can enlighten you."

"You realize that sounds incredibly creepy right?" Hoshou said in a sarcastic voice, his eyebrows raising sky high. He almost looked terrified, but Naru knew better then to assume that. The man had seen far too many things in his lifetime to be frightened of an odd choice of words.

"You don't call me a narcissist for nothing."

"Was that a joke?" Hoshou yelled as he began walking down the hall, "If it is, it's certainly not very funny!"

"You wanted answers. I suggest listening to what I have to say."

And with that statement, Naru slinked down the hospital hallway, not even bothering to look back. He knew a contemplative expression would be plastered across his old friend's face. He was perfectly aware that an assortment of nurses continued to eavesdrop on their foolish conversation. The world moved around his body, time becoming something that danced across his fingertips. He could picture an assortment of colours, all of which could be seen with the naked eye. Fiery reds, shallow blues, and every hue in-between. He supposed it was like tasting a fine wine. The problem was, he wasn't enjoying the explosion of colour and flavour that was wrapped around his tongue. There was nothing delicious about the options—nothing delicious about the decisions suddenly strewn before his feet.


	14. Leaving the Cage

" _Your perspective on life comes from the cage you were held captive in._ "  
~Shannon L. Alder

* * *

 

_Chapter Fourteen_

Leaving the Cage

After what felt like centuries of suffering under the tyrannical gaze of nurses, doctors, and the cursed journal, time had become a tangible concept. Mai could feel it trickle down her back like water from a broken pipe. The more she acknowledged it, the more it seemed to flood her senses and cloud her judgement. Before long, every one of her thoughts carried the weight of a waterfall. There was no place she could hide from the destruction, no place she could linger to avoid becoming absolutely drenched. Time seemed to slide in front of her eyes like an old film reel. She could see every filament—taste every fragment on the tip of her tongue. It was enlightening, but terrifying at the same time. Leaving the iron-clad grip of the hospital was something she needed to do soon. Waiting any longer was literally forging a small bomb in Mai's brain. She had to move or do something before her body would explode into a billion pieces.

Fortunately after waiting for what felt like years, her time had come. Still bruised and battered, the officials within the hospital had finally given her permission to _leave_. With whatever speed remained in her body, Mai managed to gather all of her things and reluctantly call Hoshou for help. After the argument the other day, the last thing she wanted was to set eyes on him again. Looking him in the face after what she had said would be a challenge, one that was nearly impossible to accept. In the end however, she had no choice. In order to leave the hospital, he would need to check her out, talk with the doctors again, and take responsibility for ensuring she was 'healthy'. After all the time that had went by, Mai knew what that word symbolized: _medication_. She was crazy after all. There was no way she could be released into the public without some sort of session with a drug.

While waiting for Hoshou to arrive and sort everything out, Mai was at a loss. The only book she had to read was one that wanted to make her life a living hell. Talking to someone was out of the question. She had tried that already and had very poor results. Every other sick person surrounding her was either too ill, rude, or tired to accept any invitation to simply chat. If they did want to talk, that only introduced another problem; there was nothing to talk about. Mai wasn't the kind of person to whine or prattle on about how her body refused to cooperate with her desire to heal. Pain was something she always kept to herself. Listening to other people's depressing lives was something she couldn't manage without disastrous results. She didn't need to be reminded about the little monster that lived in her backpack. She already thought about it every day.

So the questioned remained—what was she supposed to do? Mai had one idea. It was the kind of proposal that would have had the doctors and nurses reeling, but she didn't care. There was business she had to take care of, the kind that needed to be dealt with early rather than later. With her belongings in hand, she slipped out of the doorway and into the hall. It was long, narrow, and utterly silent, which was something she had to be grateful for. Her shoes may have smacked loudly against the tile, but it was better than having a close encounter with another human being. Some authoritative figure would have yelled at her if they knew what she was up to. For the longest time she had been forbidden to even toy with the idea of seeing Sadao. She was responsible for his condition after all. Despite the guilt that tricked throughout her veins, Mai couldn't stop moving. It was crucial that she saw him in the flesh. Seeing him alive, rather than sprawled out on her apartment floor would hopefully erase the horrible images burned into her skull.

Unfortunately, finding his room would be a challenge. Some of the nurses had brought it up in conversation, but there were quick to remain silent when she was nearby. Seeing as she was 'crazy' the women didn't trust her with a ten foot pole. Apparently any sort of information they released into the air had the potential to become dangerous. Mai obviously thought otherwise. If she was _really_ clinically insane they would know very fast. No one in their right mind started screaming, yelling, and tearing objects apart without having some sort of problem or another.

Shaking her head, Mai creeped around a corner, peeking into the interior of a random room. There really wasn't much to see; an empty bed was perched in the far left corner, along with a small dresser table and a window. It looked like someone had once occupied the space, but that obviously didn't matter now. Whoever had lived in the room was gone. All that remained was dust and bitter memories. She could almost feel them move throughout the air surrounding her body. With every breath she took a haunting sensation crept along her skin. Something unbearable had occurred within the room. Ignoring that fact was pretty much impossible, as it starred her directly in the face. Frowning, Mai slowly creeped further down the hallway. The faint traces of a room number lurked within her brain, but she was unable to unearth it from the depths of her mind. The fatigue sliding throughout her body was far too overpowering.

"I heard that you had a very troubled patient in the emergency wing this morning."

Mai froze. Nurses were coming in her direction. By the sounds of it, they would reach her location very fast. If she didn't find somewhere to hide soon, the women would definitely get her in some sort of trouble. Scowling in distaste, Mai ran a hand over the top of her head. There was only one option available to her. Unfortunately it had everything to do with the deserted hospital room. Of all the weird and uncanny places in the world, that had to be the one to offer her some sort of salvation. If she knew any better, the world was definitely punishing in some shape or form. There really was no other explanation for everything she has to go through. If there was, she sure as hell couldn't see it.

" _Why me?_ " she hissed, her voice sliding throughout the air smoothly. Sending a dark glance over her shoulder, Mai frowned and slid into the deserted hospital room. She dove behind the door, taking great care to not to make any disruptive noises. It was important that she wasn't seen, let alone heard. Otherwise, her life would only continue to turn into a giant mess. That was something she really didn't need in her life at the moment.

Holding her breath, Mai remained behind the door and silently watched the nurses pass by. They continued to prattle on about nothing in particular. She heard something scandalous about a random doctor and a successful pregnancy, but that was it. There was nothing about Sadao or his condition. The only thing she got out of the whole situation was failure. There she was in a creepy hospital room with only her stupid thoughts to keep her company. If she had been smart, she would have avoided running off in the first place. Of course her plan was going to backfire. For weeks she had literally been the most unfortunate person in the world.

"Great," Mai muttered under her breath angrily, "now I have to go back to the hospital room and pretend I was taking scenic walk. The nurses are going to kill me. I should probably start arranging a funeral."

"That's pretty morbid for someone in your condition."

Jumping ten feet into the air, Mai spun around, accidentally knocking the door shut. The slam echoed throughout the hall madly, sure to elicit some questioning stares. A frustrated groan would have slipped through her lips, but Mai couldn't find it in herself to do it. She was far too occupied with whatever had suddenly decided to speak. It didn't sound particularly unfriendly, so she was certain it wasn't threatening. Still, she wasn't one to suddenly jump to conclusions. There was a small chance that whatever creature stood behind her could be a danger of some sort.

Biting her lip, Mai turned around hoping—no praying that she would be greeted with something moderately pleasant to the eye. It was tiring having to deal with fear every single day. If she had it her way, there would be no need to feel such a thing so frequently. No one, not even a young adult, deserved to tip toe around like a small child. It was far too ridiculous to deal with.

"Like I was saying, that's pretty morbid for someone to say. I mean honestly, you look pretty fine to me."

All Mai could do was stare with her eyebrows raised. The creature standing before her was far from anything threatening at all. The so called _creature_ was a human. A young girl, perhaps fifteen years of age, sat with her legs crossed along the surface of a hospital bed. Her dark hair was twisted into a lazy braid and she looked annoyed. It was obvious as to why; Mai had barged into her room, slammed the door, and probably disturbed her beauty sleep. While walking down the hall she could have sworn that the space had been empty, but now wasn't the time to question what she thought had existed. Right now she had to somehow run away and avoid the potential doom the teen would spread due to her stupidity. Wincing in mock pain, Mai attempted to quickly leave. Before she could twist the doorknob however, she was interrupted.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It's not like the nurses have suddenly disappeared. I have to say, you made quite the scene with the door slam."

Sighing miserably, Mai ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to invade your privacy."

"Well you did," the girl muttered angrily, "and there's no stopping that now. If you leave, more nurses will probably barge in here again."

"Shouldn't you let them help you? That's what they are for."

The girl looked at Mai like she was insane. "Look who's talking! I don't see you seeking out their company. It looks like you're avoiding it to me."

"I won't disagree with you there," Mai mumbled, once again attempting to leave the room. She pulled the door open a crack, peering through the small gap she had created. From the looks of it, nurses were still patrolling the hall. Faint echoes of their laughter slowly trickled along the floors and walls, only serving to create a special kind of pain. It would have been awesome if Mai could simply leave and continue on her journey, but that seemed to be out of her hands. She would have to wait, which meant dealing with her unfortunate situation.

"Why are you hiding from the nurses anyway? Aren't you an adult?" the girl asked while fiddling with the adages of her shirt.

Mai could only frown in distaste. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't."

"I like you," the girl snickered in an amused tone, "you have a sense of humour, but you still didn't answer the question. Why are you hiding?"

"The nurses have a tendency of getting on my nerves."

"Yeah, but why? Don't you have a sob story of some sort? A tale filled with woe?"

A small frown creeped across Mai's lips. She wasn't one to play into anyone's hands, but something about the girl bothered her. Sure, she was annoying enough, but somewhere behind the smiles and odd questions was a hint of despair. When she thought about it, there really was no sense in the thought. Unfortunately, she had tossed good sense out of the window ages ago. It was impossible to remember when she had acted like the world had been in the palms of her hands.

"I don't have a tale of woe. I just got in a little accident," Mai finally decided to say, ignoring everything involving the journal. For once she just wanted to have a semi-normal life again.

"Huh. So that's why you're all battered up."

"Pretty much," Mai added hesitantly before appraising the girl once again. Yes—there was certainly something troubling about the teenager. It was almost undetectable, but sadness seemed to linger behind her gaze. Such a sensation was incredibly troubling for one reason only; it served to create confusion. There was no reason for her to be so concerned and yet she was. In frustration, Mai frowned deeply. She really needed to know what was going on in her head.

"So there's more to the story?"

"Why do you care so much? Shouldn't you be resting or something?" Mai asked curiously.

"That's kind of difficult seeing as there's a stranger in my room."

"You don't seem to mind very much. You won't really let me leave."

For a moment the sadness in the girl's eyes seemed to fade away. She laughed wholeheartedly, even pausing to slap her leg. "It's for your own good. Sometimes it's best to have a break from all of the evils in the world."

Mai didn't chose to make a comment on what the girl said. She just raised her eyebrows in question and continued to wonder why on earth the teenager would say such a thing. It was obviously in relation to the nurses, but still managed to pull on her heartstrings in a way that nearly hurt.

"The nurses are pretty evil, but lots of other things are bad too."

"There are definitely worse things in the world," Mai finally managed to mumble under her breath. Sighing, she turned to peer through the door again. From the sounds of it, the hall was still not clear. For all she knew it would take centuries until it was empty again. Her idea had been ridiculous in the first place. It would have been smart if she remained in her little gloomy getaway instead of tying loose ends. If she was found in another patient's room there was a huge chance she wouldn't be allowed to leave the hospital for a few more days. The staff would probably think she was even more crazy and that was something she didn't need.

"You're so annoying," the girl said halfheartedly, "how many times do I have to tell you to stop looking through the door? The nurses will see you."

"I'm just trying to leave you in peace. I shouldn't be in here."

"In my room or the hospital? You never really specified."

Confusion filtered through Mai's veins. That was another thing about the girl that threw her off. For some reason she had an odd fixation on her behaviour and life. Rather than respect the privacy of others, which Mai had difficultly exercising in real life, the nameless teenager chose to stick her nose in everyone's business. It wasn't typical of someone her age at all. Kids didn't take an interest in others. Normally all they wanted was independence and freedom, two ideals only adults could truly attain.

"You're too curious for your own good. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Maybe," the girl replied happily.

"Well maybe you should put your curiosity to use and stand guard by the door. The nurses won't bother you."

Smiling, the girl hopped off of the bed. "I wouldn't be too sure. I've had some run-ins with them in the past. From what I recall, they didn't like me very much."

Narrowing her eyes, Mai slowly stepped to the side. Despite the time that had passed by, she still couldn't shake the feeling that something weird was going on. If she ever wanted to leave the hospital, it was now. The girl's presence was simply becoming more bothersome.

"If I help you get past the staff where are you going to go anyways? Not back to your room, I hope. They must know that you're gone by now."

"If you want the truth of it, I was trying to find a friend. That turned out to be a spectacularly bad idea," Mai said in a reluctant, but sad sort of way.

"A friend. What kind?"

"The friend kind?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Is the person a girl or a guy? Are you romantically involved? There are too many kinds of friends out there to simply limit it to one type. That would be such an injustice."

"It's complicated."

Laughing, the teenager pointed a finger at Mai in a knowing way. "Believe it or not, that is a type! Now only one question remains! What's this person's name?"

Throwing caution to the wind, Mai finally decided to answer the girl's ridiculous questions. If she did, there was a good chance she could leave the room without further interference. She didn't really know where she was going to go, but leaving seemed like a good start. Like most things, she would probably figure it out along the way. If that ended up putting her in the nurses hands, she wouldn't complain.

"His name is Sadao Oshiro."

The girl flashed a brilliant smile, each of her teeth glittering in the dim light. "The nurses like to talk, you know. I might have heard that name before."

Mai snorted in doubt. "They don't talk that much."

"Not around you. Around me on the other hand," she paused to release another sly grin, "they talk pretty freely. What if I have heard his name before? Don't you think I could offer some help?"

"Why would you want to?"

"I'm bored."

That was doubtful. The girl seemed perfectly content doing nothing before. In thought, Mai scratched her chin. She was taking her job pretty seriously. Every few seconds the teenager would pop her head through the gap along the door, taking in the scenery that made up the hallway. Occasionally, her eyes would darken in thought—what was on her mind, Mai couldn't say. Maybe she just wanted some peace and quiet as well. She didn't look particularly sick, but that didn't mean she wouldn't enjoy the benefits of silence in some shape or form.

"There are plenty of other things you could be doing."

"You should be happy," the girl began in a sombre tone, "I could just as easily get the nurses to come in here. That would satisfy my boredom as well."

A small scowl quickly laced its way across Mai's mouth. She had obviously forgotten how temperamental teenagers could be. "Fine. If you want to help, I won't complain. What do you know?"

"A room number."

The whole situation was too much of a coincidence for Mai to deal with. How on earth could some random girl have the exact information that she needed? It just didn't make any sense. Starring at the teenager with more than a handful of suspicion, she shook her head. "I don't believe you. What if it's the number to some other random person's room?"

"You don't trust me? Come on! Those nurses always talk up a storm when they're here!"

"Like I said, they could have been talking about anyone."

Shrugging her shoulders, the girl sighed deeply. "It's up to you. Will you take the number or not?"

"Do I really have a choice? I have to get out of here somehow," Mai mumbled under her breath.

For a moment the girl ducked her head past the door again. She made a happy sound before returning to meet Mai's tired gaze. "The hall is clear! Are you ready to go?"

Mai only had the energy to nod in compliance. The girl laughed before throwing the door open and running back to her bed. She moved towards the bedside table and rummaged through the drawers. With the speed of some sort of hyper animal, she grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, pausing for a moment to scribble something down. Within seconds, she folded the note, ran back towards Mai, and slapped it into the palm of her hand. She attempted to unfold the weird little message, but the brunette wouldn't have it. The girl quickly shook her head, a bright smile never leaving the edges of her mouth.

"Don't open it here. If the nurses do see you in the hall, you can pretend to be lost."

"Okay." Mai replied, once again in a doubtful way.

"Good. I'd wish you luck, but I'm not one to toss that sort of mischief around. It's not always a good thing."

Before she could walk out of the door, Mai stopped, once again briefly glancing at the paper crumpled between her fingertips. "You never told me your name."

That question seemed to bother the brunette. For a few fleeting seconds, the sadness Mai had detected earlier seemed to return in full force. It almost radiated off of the girl's eyes, surrounding the room with a curtain of suppressed thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Like fog, it swayed in front of Mai's gaze, whispering the sort of secret only a select few could hear. It was unattainable. Before she could even discover the source of the girl's hidden distress, it seemed to slip through her fingers. Hospitals could create enough problems, but she wasn't so sure it was responsible for whatever plagued her young friend's thoughts.

Smiling grimly, the girl waved in her hand in a dismissive manner. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Raising an eyebrow, Mai slid out of the doorway. She took great care to look in both directions. It didn't matter if someone else had been on the lookout; she was going to check and see if any nurses or doctors were nearby. It was better if she just avoided any human contact of that sort. "Perhaps we'll meet again?"

"I'd like that," the girl replied with a knowing grin, "I'd like that very much."

The only thing Mai managed to do was release a weary smile. Something about the girl's statement sent a shiver up her spine. It was creepy for a girl her age to take such an interest in anything, let alone seeing another human being again. They were basically strangers, and yet the girl acted as though she knew her somehow. Weird didn't even define the situation, so Mai chose not to think on it too much. There was enough in the world she had to worry about. Sleep was one of those important things, so it would obviously be best if she put her odd concerns to rest.

"Goodbye," she whispered before slipping down the hall. With the paper pinched between her fingertips, Mai had a feeling she would find her way. It was difficult to say why, but if the number didn't bring her closer to Sadao, she didn't know what would.

The young girl on the other hand, remained within the hospital room. She stood silently, the smile along her lips fading entirely. It was as though a cloud had somehow smothered her happiness and sucked it away into a dark abyss. All that remained was a hopeful, yet sorrowful frown. Whatever light that once shimmered in her bright eyes had flickered out of sight as well. The girl was now a shadow—a fragment of what Mai had once seen.

Looking on with hope, the girl suppressed a small smirk filled with the lingerings of a daydream. "We shall meet again. This was, as one would say, only the beginning."


	15. Self-Defence and Ignorance

_"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."  
_ ~Aldous Huxley

* * *

 

_Chapter Fifteen_

Self-Defence and Ignorance

Mai's eyes were glued to the paper pressed between her hands. In all honesty, she thought the girl's help would have pushed her in the right direction, but like most things she had been wrong. After finding a nearby stairwell, she had unfolded the message. The number, much to her surprise, had been an absolute dead end. The reason was simple; it had four digits. No hospital, as far as she was concerned, had over a thousand rooms. Unless she was in a fairytale world with rainbows, unicorns, and magic, such a thing could not exist. Scowling in distaste, Mai resisted the urge to rip the small piece of paper into pieces. It was impossible to determine what use the girl would get out of the situation other than amusement. She should have known better than to trust a teenager, but Mai had never been one to ignore her whims.

Sucking in a deep breath of air—more to relieve her anger than anything else—Mai climbed up several flights of stairs and ventured into a random hall. She continued to peer into random rooms, wincing when any authoritative figure walked by. At this point, she knew her attempts at finding Sadao were basically useless. It had been nearly over an hour since she had slipped away from her room with no luck whatsoever. In frustration, Mai kicked the ground. Her right foot skidded across the concrete loudly, but for a moment she couldn't find the energy to care. It would probably be best if she just returned to her designated wing in the hospital. At a later date there was a chance she could see her friend. His parents would probably disapprove, but that didn't mean she couldn't try.

Pausing for only a second, Mai opened her hand. She starred at the sliver of paper there, wondering why on earth she didn't just crumple the thing up and toss it away. It had been in her presence long enough, and it certainly hadn't provided any sort of help. Oddly enough, she couldn't bring herself to do it. There was a chance that she was merely holding on to some false sense of hope, but she couldn't be too sure. Her mind was currently in an extraordinarily messy state.

"Excuse me? Is there something I can help you with?"

Pulling her gaze from the paper, Mai almost screeched in annoyance. Like she had predicted long ago, a nurse had found her in the hall. Fortunately, she didn't look all that mean. The woman had a kind face, the one that could be found in a mother with a young child. That fact was slightly comforting, but Mai wasn't exactly in the mood to take anymore risks. Every time she tried to fix something, her world seemed to become a little more grey. Anymore mistakes, and she was certain her life would be more of a black smudge than anything else.

Glancing at the note again, Mai's mind couldn't help but return to the brunette again. Despite the annoyance she had caused, there was one thing she had to offer that was more valuable than a petty number. That special thing was advice.

"I'm sorry," Mai began, her tone mimicking that of a confused child, "but I think I'm lost."

For some unexplainable reason, the nurse didn't recognize her. The woman only looked at Mai with a tangible curiosity. "Lost? I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe I can help you find your way."

Smiling, Mai passed the lady the paper that had previously been stuffed in her fist. The girl's advice had been effective. Pretending to be lost or astray seemed to create a kind of good-natured concern, which was better than the other responses she had received from previous nurses. Two days ago one of the women servicing her room nearly ripped a lung out due to yelling. Mai hadn't meant to be troublesome, but there was no way she would be swallowing any sort of pill linked to her so-called condition. She wasn't crazy, and despite the behaviours of others she would stand by that opinion.

"I'm trying to find an old friend of mine. He's been in the hospital for awhile, but I just can't seem to find his room. That was the number I was given, although I'm pretty sure it's wrong," Mai said, ignoring the fact that her story was more of a half truth than anything else.

"6134? I don't have any doubts about that," the woman said softly, raising the paper up to the light, "there are definitely no rooms with that number here."

"I see. I guess I'm out of luck."

The nurse laughed, her voice echoing throughout the hall in a delighted manner. "I wouldn't say that. What's your friend's name?"

Crossing her fingers, Mai couldn't help but blurt out his title. "Sadao Oshiro."

"Considering everything, I'd say that you're pretty lucky. A man by that name just got moved into this hall a few days ago. If you follow me, I'll take you right to him," the nurse replied before holding the note out in the air.

After retrieving the paper and sliding it into her pocket, a sad smile slipped across Mai's lips. She was glad that her friend's room had been found, but couldn't help but feel incredibly disheartened at the same time. After sitting alone for days, the hours fading away like sunlight, she had come to one brittle conclusion; that Sadao could no longer be involved in her life. She didn't want to be responsible for hurting anyone else that she loved. It was bad enough that she couldn't look Hoshou in the face after what she had said several days ago. Seeing Sadao again would be like a shot in the heart. By keeping him at a safe distance, he would remain far away from her problems, and in turn, the demons that chose to haunt her at night. He would be safe. In the end, that was all Mai could ask for.

Running a hand through her hair, she turned to quickly follow the nurse. In a matter of minutes, she was left standing in front of Sadao's door. The lady had only smiled, wished her the best, and slowly retreated down the hall to help another poor soul. It seemed so easy, as moments before finding his abode had been a nightmare. Unfortunately, Mai wasn't so sure if it was as simple as she declared it to be within her head. The hard part came next. She now had to walk through the door and face him, which would be incredibly difficult to accomplish.

"Here goes nothing," Mai whispered into the air, her voice cracking with emotion. She was afraid—terrified of what she would see in the room. Despite her feelings, she continued to move forward, her footsteps hardly echoing against the floor.

Before long, Sadao's broken body crept into her line of sight. Mai had to suppress an unhappy groan. He was sprawled across the hospital bed in a rigid manner, one which suggested that he was unable to move without pain. His face, pale in the yellow light, was decorated with a variety of bruises and cuts that came in all shapes and sizes. Mai suspected that they had been caused by the glass, along with the impact of the vase. The worst part however, was the deep laceration that swooped across his left eye. It was heavily bandaged, the edges of the material a deep shade of red. His vision had clearly been impaired. It was a wonder that his parents hadn't chosen to press charges at all.

"Who's there?" Sadao croaked, his hand moving to block the light. He winced at the movement, which only elicited agony in Mai's heart. She never thought it had been possible to feel as guilty as she did now. It was almost impossible to breathe.

Sniffling quietly, she hesitantly walked toward the edge of his bed. She managed to place a hand on his leg, but that was all she could do. Speaking was currently out of the question. It was as if all of the words that existed in the world were jammed in the middle of her throat. If she tried to speak, even convey her feelings, nothing would come out. She would only be left gasping for air like some sort of water-deprived fish. That was something she refused to do in Sadao's presence. He didn't deserve to hear her struggle to come up with an excuse for what was clearly her doing.

Surprise filtered throughout her veins when his features abruptly softened. "Mai? Is that you?"

Patting his leg, she dared to move closer. At that point she was able to speak, although it came out as more of a strangled yelp. "It's me."

"You finally came."

It wasn't a question. The statement was more of a past expectation that had finally become a reality. Mai didn't think it was even possible, but it appeared as though Sadao was calm. He wasn't angry, not even a little bit. He just seemed relieved. It was like he had been waiting for her to suddenly be present in his room all along.

"Yes."

His eyes, the one she could see that is, met her own with a warmth she didn't expect. With one hand, he beaconed her forward, willing her to move closer to his side. "Come here."

"I can't," she said, her fingers fiddling with the edges of the bedsheets.

Confusion quickly consumed his gaze. "Why not?"

"I hurt you. That's unforgivable, Sadao."

"It was an accident, Mai. I don't want you to be afraid of something you can't change."

A blunt laugh nearly slipped though Mai's lips. That was the funny thing; she did have the ability to change what had happened that night. If she had acted in a manner that was suited to an adult and just opened her mind to the possibilities, he wouldn't be stretched across a hospital bed like a helpless animal. Her foolishness had created the conditions needed for disaster. It was all her fault, and everyone she knew had easily accepted that fact. She didn't understand why Sadao refused to lay the blame on anyone but himself or fate.

"You don't understand. I did have the ability to change what happened that night. I'm responsible for your condition. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be in a hospital at all," Mai stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Where would you be if I didn't get hurt?"

In that moment, Mai couldn't meet Sadao's warm gaze. The truth was simple: she didn't know what would have happened if he hadn't been in her apartment that night. Perhaps she would have been killed. That was doubtful, but the creature haunting her didn't seem like the type to throw caution to the wind. If she wasn't killed, she probably would have been in completely different state, one that was much more painful, horrible, and sad.

Shaking his head, Sadao slowly sat up and threw his legs over the edge of his bed. "I think we both know the answer to that question. So would you do me a favour and stop blaming yourself? You got hurt too. It's not like you didn't come out of there unscathed."

Mai briefly looked up at the ceiling in disbelief. "I smashed your face with a vase. How can you not be mad at all?"

"It was in the name of self-defence. I would have done the same thing if I was being attacked by some masked man."

A small scowl quickly dominated the edges of her mouth. His response was to be expected. Everyone, including Hoshou for a time, believed that she had gone through some sort of burglary. As much as she wanted to correct Sadao, Mai couldn't bring herself to do it. It was better, far more safe, if her remained in the dark about the paranormal. Once she would have like him to believe, but now it was best if that idea lingered in the unknown. If he somehow found out there was a chance, he could be dragged into her problem. That was something she didn't need, especially with Naru's unexpected presence.

"So you'd smash my face with a vase too? Sadao, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Why can't you take something seriously for once? I put you in a hospital!"

"You're my girlfriend. That's different," he replied, still struggling to move away from his bed.

"People get arrested for that!" Mai said loudly, her cheeks turning a bright red, "it's a pretty big deal!"

Grunting, Sadao continued to shift around slowly. Unfortunately, Mai didn't notice how he gradually moved closer to her petite form. "You were acting in self-defence, therefore the situation is different."

"The context of the situation doesn't matter at all! It's still a big problem in the end!"

"Why do you always have to be so self-righteous? I forgive you. Do the details even matter any more?"

Frustration, the kind that couldn't easily be contained, abruptly shifted from Mai's head to each of her fingers and toes. "The details will always matter to me. You can't just wish them all away and pretend they don't exist. No matter what you do they will still be there."

Somehow Sadao suddenly grabbed Mai's hand. She jerked in surprise, automatically resisting his touch. It wasn't something she meant to do, but happened nonetheless. His touch was like fire. It burned her skin, sending jolts of flame to every nerve within her body. It hurt to care about him. With every fibre of her being, she yearned to tug him far away from her problems. Like a warning, she could see the journal within her mind. It floated in her consciousness, peacefully waiting to strike.

"I forgive you. Didn't you hear me before?"

"I refuse to accept it. It's not right," she said angrily.

Growling, Sadao pulled Mai toward his lap, his eyes glittering with frustration of his own. "What do I have to do to make you understand?"

"Let me go."

That was the wrong thing to say. To an outsider it wouldn't seem like it, but to Mai it was the perfect catalyst to amplify the situation. It created the ideal opportunity for Sadao to do what he did best; make any and every situation more confusing. Before she could even think, his lips had somehow crashed upon her own. Despite the pain he obviously felt, Sadao wrapped his arms around her body, pulling Mai closer to his chest. His hands slid up her arms and neck, taking great care not to further damage the tissue there. She tried to protest and somehow push herself away, but it was impossible. He was far too distracting. With skill she didn't even know he had, he attempted to pry a response from her. What he wanted—Mai couldn't even tell in the end. She just knew that it went against her goal for the day; preventing Sadao from becoming further involved.

Gasping, Mai tried to pull away. At first she didn't have any success, as Sadao's fingertips had somehow found their way into her hair. She tried again, but her movement seemed to only give him the wrong idea. He deepened the kiss until she couldn't even think strait. It wasn't until her hands were on his chest, that Sadao finally decided to stop. By that time, Mai's thoughts were a muddled mess. She couldn't breathe, see, or even form a coherent thought. All she could do was catch her breath and somehow scramble to her feet. It was terrifying imagining the puzzled expression forming across Sadao's face.

"Mai, I've forgiven you because I—"

"I can't," she quickly interrupted, her heart pounding roughly inside of her chest.

Almost exactly like she had predicted, a bewildered expression immediately slipped across Sadao's features. "What? I don't understand."

Ignoring the sadness in his eyes, Mai forced herself to speak. "I can't do this right now, Sadao. I don't want to hurt you."

It looked as though he could almost laugh. The reason why was fairly apparent; she didn't want to hurt him again, and yet chose to ignore his feelings. To him it would probably seem absolutely barbaric, but Mai had important reasons for her actions. Due to the circumstances, Sadao could never know them.

"You're not hurting me. I don't understand why you feel that way."

"It's not something you're supposed to understand."

Sighing, Sadao ran a hand throughout his messy hair. "You've never been the cryptic type. This isn't something that should be confusing. It's as simple as black and white; I got hurt and I'm getting better. You should be too."

"It's not black and white. There are things I have to worry about that just need time."

More confusion filtered across his face. "You need time? How much?"

Mai could only smile sadly at Sadao's determination. Despite everything he remained as difficult as ever. After kissing her, he had only made the situation infinitely more uncertain. It would take ages until she could get her thoughts strait. Too much in her life was going on—it was extremely overwhelming. She cared for Sadao, she really did, but it was impossible to tell how far those feelings stretched out. With everyone suddenly appearing from everywhere, Mai didn't know how long things would stay the same.

"I don't know," she whispered softly.

With fatigue, Sadao fell over across the bed, a loud sigh exploding from his lips. Instead of speaking, he remained silent. For the longest time, only his slow and steady breaths could be heard. Mai knew that he was thinking. He was probably juggling every single possibility in his mind as to why she wanted to have some time to herself. Detective or not, she doubted that he would ever come to a direct conclusion on her behaviour.

"I should go," Mai finally decided to say, "I'm supposed to be heading away from the hospital for awhile."

"Where are you going to go?"

"I don't know that either."

A dejected sort of chuckle popped out of Sadao's mouth. "I didn't think you would. As I said, you are being very enigmatic today."

"I'm sorry," Mai whispered. She had a feeling they both knew that it was for everything, not just the situation at hand.

"I'm sorry too."

With that statement, Mai decided to leave. Biting her lip to keep from crying, she slipped out of the door and into the hallway. As she walked away from Sadao's room, her feet clicked against the tile loudly, echoing against the white walls. For the first time in the day, she didn't really care. If the nurses caught her lounging around, she would accept the situation with open arms. Returning to her little room and Hoshou was a better option than wallowing around in her own guilt. She needed to be proactive. She needed to read that bloody book. Sniffling in thought, Mai stretched a hand out into her pocket, pulling out the sliver of paper she had received earlier. For the first time, she honestly wondered what the numbers meant.


	16. Enlightened

_"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."  
_ ~Edgar Allan Poe

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

_Enlightened_

There were many things Naru didn't like and unfortunately Mai was one of them. She was a first class idiot who had somehow morphed into a five year old over night. Screaming and yelling was one thing, but making the whole world believe you were crazy was quite another. The whole situation was simply ridiculous. For two days it refused to flutter away from his train of thought. It clattered around in his brain, knocking his ideas and beliefs into a thick iron cage. For awhile Mai, the stupid and psychotic child that she had somehow become, was the only thing that remained. She was all he could think about, which was more than a little odd. It was repulsive. He was acting just as insane and irrational as she was on a daily basis. If that wasn't unacceptable, Naru didn't know what was.

"Are you just going to stare out that window all day or actually get something done?"

A dissatisfied frown slipped across Naru's features. He didn't enjoy Lin's patronizing commentary. It wasn't like he had willingly decided to do nothing all day. In fact, if he had any choice at all, it would be to somehow teleport back to Britain and pretend that his life was completely normal. It wasn't of course, but he could at least try. Ignoring his parents and the world around him always was a good idea.

"Believe it or not," Naru began in a blank tone, "standing here is very productive. I'm contemplating my place in this world."

Lin rolled his eyes. "How very philosophical of you."

"Philosophical is the wrong word. Try enlightened—it's a significantly better suited term," Naru replied in a off-hand manner.

"Oliver, that makes absolutely no sense."

While staring out the window, Naru couldn't help but smirk. If there was one thing that pulled his mind away from trouble, it was bothering Lin. It was the little things that seemed to annoy his friend; disappearing randomly, making phone calls in the middle of the night, unannounced visits, and yes—insignificant chatter. The more irrelevant, the more interesting the conversation would be. It probably wouldn't last long, but that didn't really matter. The point was to forget, even if only for a few brief moments.

"Enlightenment is undignified for those who haven't experienced it."

"Oliver—"

"Don't doubt me."

"If you would rather stare out of a window, be my guest. I only wanted to tell you that I received a phone call from Hoshou Takigawa about twenty minutes ago."

Immediately a small fragment of annoyance began to slither its way through Naru's veins. In a matter of seconds, whatever enjoyment he had received from mentally torturing Lin had faded away. He was abruptly thrown back into the never-ending chaos that was life. In one way or another he knew that it would happen. He just really didn't want it to in the end. Remaining in the shadows—becoming a figure that knew nothing but the basics of living, was something he claimed to understand and desire. Chewing the inside of his cheek, Naru briefly turned away from the window. He sent Lin a scathing look. It was unnecessary to say anything; his so called friend know exactly what he meant.

"If you're going to act like a child please save me the suspense. It's unnecessary and ridiculous."

"That would have been a great conversation starter," Naru said in a bleak tone.

Lin's face twisted into an expression consumed with confusion. "What?"

"Hoshou Takigawa suddenly giving you a call? That would have been great to know—let's say around twenty minutes ago?"

"If I recall, you were too busy contemplating your so called enlightened state of existence," Lin snapped, his voice filled with frustration.

In the dim light his eyes glittered with a hidden anger, one which Naru didn't really have to question. After all, his irritation was understandable. Like the fool that he was, Naru had chosen to drag him all the way to Japan without a second thought. Lin had never wanted to go in the first place. He had obligations binding him to England, many of which held some importance in one way or another. Whether it had been selfish or not, Naru shouldn't have made him go. He had never asked in the first place, but his friend wasn't the kind of person to ignore a silent proposal. The man would never admit it, but he cared about Mai, even if he never showed it.

"I'd expect you to think as much. What did I tell you? Enlightenment is undignified for those who have never experienced it."

Pinching his nose, Lin sighed deeply. "Whatever, Oliver. Act like a philosopher for all I care. I thought I'd just let you know that Takigawa is bringing Mai to the hotel."

That caught his attention. "What hotel?"

"The one you happen to be standing in. I thought you would have figured that out by now, seeing that you are enlightened and all."

For the third time, Naru's gaze was pulled away from the window. It was easy for anyone to tell that he wasn't exactly pleased with the whole situation. The last thing he needed was to have Mai within his personal bubble. Believe it or not, it extended over a kilometre in length and width, which tripled that of any normal human being. The girl was already driving him insane and he wasn't even in her presence any more. Seeing her in the hospital was enough to last a lifetime let alone a week.

Narrowing his eyes, Naru met Lin's angry gaze. "Is there a particular reason why Taniyama is coming here?"

"I thought Takigawa discussed that with you over a week ago?"

"No, I simply told him what our purpose was here," Naru began quietly, "that was all."

Lin starred at Naru doubtfully. "You didn't tell him about your suspicions?"

"Perhaps, but that is besides the point. I didn't extend an invitation to create some sort of hostel in our hotel room. It doesn't exactly have the supplies needed to care for a psychotic girl."

"I was under the impression that Taniyama wasn't insane?"

Naru sent Lin a sidelong glance. "Again, that's besides the point."

In reality, Naru believed that Mai was truly being haunted. Deep down inside he just enjoyed claiming that she was crazy. It was better than confronting whatever other feelings remained hidden deep within his core. Those could remain in the dark for all he cared. Like most things, his emotions needed to remain untouched and isolated. He had given people enough of his time and energy as it was. Any more, and he would probably begin to rip at the seams.

"Nevertheless, they are still on their way here. I suggest you stop daydreaming and prepare yourself. The last thing we all need is an argument of some sort."

"You never answered my question," Naru stated quickly, "why exactly is Taniyama coming here?"

A worried expression briefly flickered across Lin's face. "Takigawa had some concerns, although he didn't want to discuss them over the phone."

"So you just let him come here without any sort of reason?"

"If you haven't noticed by now, some people try not to avoid human contact."

Naru chose to remain silent. He simply turned his back and ignored Lin, focussing his attention on the window. If he was going to be truly honest, there wasn't really a good view. It faced a parking lot, one which was both empty and dirty, a combination that wasn't worth noting. There were a few plastic bags, cups, a magazine or two, and a random toy doll. From his room Naru could see its beady little eyes peering into the depths of his soul. It should have been creepy, but he had never been one to freak out easily. In his mind, the figurine represented himself. It was old, worn, broken, and had an accusing stare. If the toy could talk he was certain it would be a creature of few words. It wouldn't have to say anything—the rejection was as clear as day across its stained face.

Sighing miserably, Naru's head fell into his hands. He gazed at the parking lot between his fingertips, obscuring his vision through a thin cage. It was almost impossible to fight the dread bouncing around in his skull. He could feel tension in the air and it had nothing to do with Lin. It had everything to do with the car that was slowly edging its way onto the pavement. Truthfully, he wasn't ready to face Mai again. It was far too tiring, attempting to pull her back together when he was still falling apart.

* * *

It had been approximately thirty minutes since Mai had chosen to speak to Hoshou. She wasn't ignoring him. In reality, she just didn't know what to say. After her little adventure in the hospital he wasn't exactly pleased. Like usual, she had only caused trouble with her little disappearance. The doctors had been about to rip her face off when he had come up with a thinly veiled excuse as to why she had left her room. She had quickly played along with the whole story, but afterwards Hoshou had absolutely nothing to say. Rather than pry, he had chosen to remain completely silent. It wasn't normal at all, but there wasn't anything Mai could do about it. In fact, she almost appreciated his decision. She had never enjoyed interrogations, especially the type that forced her to talk about silly things. At this point her whole life was foolish, so there really was no point in talking at all.

Sucking in a deep breath, Mai slowly began to fog up the car window. She took some joy from watching the glass become a pale misty white, but not a whole hell of a lot. Smiling in a bittersweet sort of way, she slid her index finger across the glass, slowly creating a small pattern—or at least what she thought was one. Absently she had written the four digit number that had been given to her by the crazy girl. Biting her lip in thought, Mai leaned forward and stared at her masterpiece in worry. It shouldn't have mattered, but for some reason it did. Each digit pried at the contents of her brain, slowly driving her into a corner. She didn't know what would be found there, but would eventually figure it all out. Before she could get too carried away, Mai swiped a hand across the damp window pane. Within seconds the number had vanished. She only wished that her troubles could fade just as fast.

"Where are we going exactly?" Mai decided to ask before her head burst into a million pieces. She didn't expect Hoshou to answer, but was surprised when he suddenly did. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, the majority of his attention placed on the steering wheel between his fingertips.

"You're not going to like it."

"You might as well get it over with. At this point there are too many things that I don't particularly like. Why not add another to the list?"

A weary sigh slipped through Hoshou's lips. His grip tightened along the steering wheel briefly, his knuckles flaring a pale white. "We can both agree that going back to your apartment would be a bad idea, right?"

"Yes," Mai said softly, fear slowly creeping up her spine, "that would be a terrible idea."

"I'm not exactly going to leave you alone either. After all that's happened you need someone to watch your back."

"You've willingly taken up that position. I don't see the problem."

When the expression on Hoshou's face dimmed, Mai knew that she wasn't going to like what he had to say. Frowning, she glanced out the window, taking in the scenery of the city. It wasn't like she didn't know where she was. There was a cafe in the corner—the same one she had been to a month before. Unfortunately, that felt like years ago and the building only served to sadden her now. More or less a block away was a small hotel. From what she had heard it was well furnished, but the environment still looked rather dreary. There were small odd and ends scattered across the ground everywhere. She almost felt ashamed that Tokyo could be so messy.

"Mai, I have to wrap up some personal business. I won't be around for a few days."

It suddenly hit her like a train. She knew exactly what he was going to say. Every word that was going to slip through his lips bounced around her head like a ball. Only an idiot would ignore what was going to happen. For the first time in weeks, Mai didn't want to be the fool again.

"No," she said in a steady tone, "there has to be another option."

Hoshou sent Mai a blank stare. "This is the only option."

Biting her lip, she tore her gaze away from the window. "I can go back to the hospital."

"Don't be ridiculous. Even if you could go back, I don't think they would accept you. Believe it or not, you're a walking time bomb. You ask for trouble."

"I could come with you," Mai suggested desperately.

"Not this time."

"Why not?"

It took a few seconds for Hoshou to answer. With a refined sort of grace, he drove off of the main road and parked in a completely empty lot. Mai didn't have to look out of the window to know that the vehicle was parked alongside the hotel she had observed only seconds before. Sucking back an angry groan, she looked at Hoshou with an expectant stare, hoping he could provide some sort of justification. It was impossible to know why he needed to leave, but she would love to know.

"Personal business. I'll be back in a heartbeat. It's just something I need to do by myself."

She forced herself to look into Hoshou's tired gaze. "I can't stay with Naru and Lin."

"Mai—"

"I just can't."

Sighing, Hoshou pulled the key from the ignition. He pulled his seatbelt off and merely sent Mai a disappointed look. It was obvious; he expected more. Perhaps he wished she was more compliant or simply strong enough to deal with life on her own. Unfortunately it wasn't her place to know. Her friend had a right to keep his thoughts to himself. He was the only person who could decide to share them.

"You can and will. Like I said, this is the only option."

It was impossible not to wince at the expression plastered across Hoshou's face. In that one look all she could see was Sadao. When Mai had turned on her heel and walked away from everything, all that remained was disappointment, frustration, and sadness; a crockpot mixture that created a lethal stare of death. She could feel her heart fracture under the pressure from the glance, which was enough to create the threat of tears. Crying would never happen of course, but that didn't stop the burning sensation from dominating her eyes.

"I don't want to agree with you, but it looks like I don't have a choice," Mai said in a strangled tone.

Briefly shutting her eyes, she felt Hoshou's hand pat her shoulder. "I'll go ahead and let them know that we're here. Do you want me to carry your bag?"

"No," Mai replied with a heavy heart, "I'll deal with it myself."

"Are you sure? You're still healing. Maybe it's best if I—"

"No. I can handle it," she interjected, tugging at her seatbelt carefully. With skill, she avoided Hoshou's heavy gaze until he was out of the car. The truth was, she didn't want him or anyone to be near the journal. If Mai had it her way she would keep everyone, including her friends, a mile away. After the incident with Sadao she couldn't afford to watch someone else get hurt. Being near the book was one thing, but touching it was a completely different tale of woe. It was difficult to say what would happen. Mai didn't want to find out.

Wincing briefly in pain, she reached for the back seat, setting her eyes on the bag. When her fingers brushed the fabric, Mai couldn't help but shiver. She could feel the journal like it was some sort of living entity. It seemed to live off of the sadness that danced throughout the air—absorb anger like a sponge. It radiated pure emotion at such an intense level; Mai wasn't certain whether she could detect her own feelings among the mess. Despite the confusion, she managed to snatch her bag off of the seat carefully. Her arm ached afterwards, but she had the sense to ignore it. Complaining wouldn't do anything in the end. She had the ability to avoid the pain entirely by simply getting out of the car, opening the back door, and grabbing what she needed. Unfortunately, she didn't think ahead. Reaching for the object from the front seat seemed like the most natural process.

Mai took a deep breath before pulling her gaze away from the bundle of fabric now placed on the floor along her feet. She stared out the window, groaning when Hoshou waved a hand in her direction. He was standing in the doorway of a room on the ground floor, which obviously housed Naru and Lin. She wouldn't have to walk very far to reach the establishment. That wasn't the point, but she couldn't help it. It was typical of the narcissist to find the most convenient location. Whatever expended the least amount of energy was the perfect place to go. Still, Mai had to wonder why the duo had chosen to live in such a lacklustre joint. She would have pegged her old friends as the kind of people who could afford some sort of luxury.

Grumbling, Mai slid her bag over her uninjured shoulder and reluctantly opened the vehicle door. When it slammed shut, she was immediately jolted back into reality. After five long years, she was going to be stuck in the same space as the one person who annoyed her the most in the world. It was difficult to think of what could possibly be worse.

"Just when I needed time to myself," Mai muttered under her breath in a tired tone. She rubbed her eyes wearily before trudging forward. There was so much on her mind. If she knew any better, her brain was on the verge of exploding. Sadao, the journal, Hoshou—everything that caused some sort of mental pain bounced around in her head. If she didn't have a break soon, Mai was certain that she would fall over.

"Let me take that."

Jumping in surprise, Mai looked up. Hoshou was attempting to pry her backpack away once again. She honestly didn't know why he wanted it so much. There was the chance that she looked utterly horrible, but that was something she didn't really feel like taking a bet on. It was important if she remained true to her word; there was no way another person was going to go near the journal without her strict permission.

"I got it," she said with a heavy sigh.

"It's digging into your shoulder, Mai. If you keep that up your stitches are going to pull apart."

She swatted Hoshou's hand away weakly before reluctantly stepping through the doorway. "For the last time, I'm fine. The only time you're getting this bag is if I suddenly drop dead or something."

"That's not funny," he replied, a small frown pulling at the edges of his mouth.

"It wasn't meant to be."

From that moment on, everything was incredibly awkward. Like usual, the first person that caught Mai's gaze was Naru. He was leaning on the edge of a well worn window sill looking as bored as ever. Lin on the other hand, appeared to be surprisingly concerned. He was staring at Mai—or rather, the exact pocket which hid the dreaded journal from view. It was impossible not to feel like she was being examined in some shape or form. Lin's gaze burned a hole right through whatever composure she had managed to conjure out of some crevasse deep within her brain. It was distracting to say the least. Grimacing, Mai managed to grin somewhat sheepishly. It probably looked like an awkward mess, but she would rather deal with that than the fear that slid through her veins.

"Well here she is," Hoshou said in what was supposed to be a happy tone. It came out as a sort of strangled choke.

An annoyed expression pulled at the corner of Naru's mouth. It came across as condescending, which only made the whole situation increasingly uncomfortable. "We can see that. There's no need to state the obvious."

"Oliver," Lin warned softly, "what did I tell you?"

Interestingly enough, Mai would never have to find out. Naru didn't say anything. He only sent Lin a particularly scathing stare before crossing his arms tightly. His appearance closely resembled that of a child who had been recently scolded. Like usual, she could only guess as to why. A part of her wished that it was over something trivial like a cookie or piece of gum. Unfortunately Naru hated all of those things with a fiery passion, so it wasn't like they were a distinctive possibility.

"Mai, it's good to see you standing on your own two feet."

Surprise filtered across her face. That was something she would have never expected Lin to say at all, especially out loud. Frowning, she tightened her grip along the edge of her bag. "It's good to see you too."

A smile edged its way across Hoshou's lips. It was tiny, but Mai could see it from the corner of her eyes. Lin had always been the more reasonable one. He had the ability to act like a rock of course, but at least he had some sort of respect. Unlike Naru he had the sense to actually vocalize a greeting.

"Well now that the pleasantries are all aside, I'm sure we can get straight to the point," Naru suddenly interjected from across the room. Lin sent him another looked filled with distaste, but it was simply ignored.

"I told Mai what's going on. If she's missing anything, I'm sure you can fill her in later."

"I'm not talking about that," Naru began, barely acknowledging Hoshou's statement, "I want to know more about the infamous journal."

A small hint of annoyance began to slip through Mai's veins. Of all the ridiculous things that Naru could have done, this was it. In his head, respect was a simple novelty. It didn't even exist. Mai didn't want to spend her remaining energy chatting about something as dangerous as the journal. She needed time to think—to make up some sort of game plan. If she was going to spend weeks, perhaps centuries living with a narcissist it was necessary that she was prepared.

"Can you wait for five minutes?" Mai managed to grumble wearily. She absently shoved a hand in a random pocket, wishing she could go take a walk.

Naru narrowed his eyes. It looked like he wanted to say something rather rude, but reconsidered when Lin practically shot him from across the room. It wasn't visible in a realistic sense, but Mai could almost see laser beams shooting out from the man's eyes.

"I'd rather not, but when did I ever have a choice in the matter?"

The comment was directed at Lin, but that still didn't make the situation any better. Mai could feel the statement slap her across the face. It was unbelievable how Naru had the courage to say such a thing. If anyone didn't have a choice it was her. It wasn't like she had asked to be haunted by a psychotic book.

"You've always had a choice. It's not like anyone asked you to come here."

Hoshou groaned. "Mai, just relax. He didn't mean it that way."

"He's a narcissist," she stated blankly as if that one word just described everything. It reality, it really did.

Of course, Naru didn't particularly enjoy what Mai had said. Before long, a large scowl had stretched its way across the centre of his face. "And what does that make you?"

"If I remember correctly," Mai began angrily, continuing to fiddle with the lining of her pocket, " I'm an insane and disagreeable spectacle."

Something flickered in Naru's eyes—a hint of bewilderment perhaps, but she was unable to completely detect it. After a week it wasn't like she could simply forget what he had said. His insult echoed within the depths of her mind like an old church bell. It was one of the first things he had managed to say after five years, so it wasn't like she could somehow pretend the rude comment didn't pop out of his mouth. It bothered Mai immensely. There really wasn't a good reason as to why; it just did.

"Mai—"

Once again, she cut through Hoshou's attempt to show compassion. Deep down she appreciated his effort, but refused to accept it. She was tired, annoyed, and full of a dull sort of pain. If Mai didn't get any time to herself soon, she would probably crumble and fall to the floor. Contrary to popular belief, she didn't need someone to stitch her back together. She could handle that just fine. After all, she had done it countless times before.

"Lin, is there somewhere I can put my stuff? It's not a lot, but it needs to go somewhere."

Surprise filtered across his face. He probably didn't expect to be addressed directly. "Yes, just around the corner there is a small room."

Meeting his eyes, Mai managed to nod in appreciation. "Thank you."

It didn't take very long to find the room. Within a minute or so Mai had walked through the door and ruthlessly tossed her cursed backpack on the bed. Ignoring the worry that consumed her body, she then returned to the area she was standing before, taking great care to avoid Naru's intruding stare. It didn't appear as though anyone had talked while she had been gone. Lin, along with every other human being in the room, had remained absolutely silent. It was a giant mess full of awkwardness, one Mai didn't really want to be apart of. She could almost feel the tension dance throughout the air.

Fiddling with her pocket again, Mai sighed loudly. "I'm going to go outside."

Astonishingly, it was Naru who chose to talk. "I don't think that's a very good idea."

"There's a bench near the front of the building," she began quietly, "it's pretty harmless. If you need me, I'll be there."

"This isn't a holiday resort."

"Maybe not, but I'm still going to be there."

For a second, Mai thought Naru's head was going to pop off. His eyes darkened in the afternoon light, rivalling that of the night sky. Fortunately she didn't have the energy to care. Sending a reassuring smile in Hoshou's direction, she turned and quickly paraded out of the door. Oddly enough, she didn't notice the small ball of paper that suddenly fell from her pocket. It tumbled onto the floor with a pathetic yet muffled tap.

* * *

"That went well."

Naru scowled, completely ignoring Hoshou's sarcastic comment. The man couldn't have been any more wrong. Mai's arrival had been a giant mess. She had simply walked in the door and pranced right out, completely ignoring the fact that there was plenty to talk about in such a short matter of time. To make matters worse, he was surprised that she could even walk in a straight line. Despite living in a hospital for more than a week, she looked atrocious. He could see why Lin had acted surprisingly kind. It would have been shocking if Mai had somehow put up a fight.

Still, he had difficulty ignoring the fear hidden within her face. It cut into her skin, pulling away the affectionate and compassionate nature that usually remained in place. Lin obviously noticed the oddity as well. There was also the chance it was something Naru couldn't exactly determine. For a moment, an expression filled with concern had slipped across his friend's face. He had stared at Mai intently, his eyes burning with a million silent inquiries. If Naru had any common sense he would have fired a line of questions in Lin's direction, but unfortunately that was not meant to be.

"She brought it with her," Lin stated blankly, suddenly breaking the silence that had defended over the room. He had obviously ignored Hoshou's previous statement as well.

The monk ran a hand through his unruly hair. "It's in her bag."

"Has she tried to get rid of it?"

Naru finally understood. They were talking about the mysterious journal. He had asked about it before, but Mai—along with everyone else in the room—had refused to examine the thing. It remained a concerning topic, one that seemed to suck away the very happiness within the air. Naru had to admit, when Mai had waltzed through the hotel door a heavy presence could easily be identified. It had been undoubtedly foreign.

"As far as I'm concerned," Hoshou said quietly, "no. I've tried to get a look at the thing, but Mai won't have it. It's odd; she's obviously terrified, but won't let it leave her sight."

"An attachment to a random object is never a good sign. Has her behaviour changed?"

"It's hard to tell. She's been acting a little off lately, but that could be due to other outside factors." Hoshou continued, his gaze landing on Naru. It was an accusing stare, one which sent a pathetic form of guilt running through his veins.

"If it's all the same to you, I suggest we take a look at the journal before she comes back."

"Oliver, that is ridiculous. If it is haunted there are certain precautions that have to be taken. You know that as well as I do," Lin hissed, sending him another expression filled with disapproval.

Shaking his head, Naru couldn't help but frown grimly. "What is more ridiculous—doing nothing or proactively attempting to solve the problem?"

"Patience is a virtue," Hoshou said in a casual tone.

"False. Patience will do nothing if time runs out. I told you about the conditions of our stay in Japan, correct?"

"I'm aware of the parapsychology conference."

"Then I suggest you stop pretending that we have all of the time in the world. That is both childish and naive," Naru snapped, surprised by the wave of anger that had abruptly consumed his mind and body. It had been unexpected. The whole situation wasn't exactly worth a truckload of fury, but lately he had been forced to reevaluate that thought. Scowling and clenching both of his fists, he focussed his gaze toward the doorway. On her way out, Mai had neglected to firmly close the door. It remained wide open, allowing a faint summer breeze to enter the room. It wasn't unpleasant, just incredibly distracting.

Sighing miserably and rather quietly, Naru began to move in the direction of the incoming wind. He planned to shut the door and put a stop to the incessant breeze and faint sounds of traffic, but was stopped. Not by a person or any human being in the room, but by a small ball of paper that remained untouched upon the floor. It wasn't supposed to be there. In fact, the faded carpet was supposed to be clean, so Naru found it difficult to believe that it had been there originally. It had either come from Mai or Hoshou, both of which were terrible options.

Before he could convince himself otherwise, Naru snatched the fragment of paper off of the floor. He normally didn't pry into other people's business, but when the occasion arose he wasn't against snooping. The note had been unattended, so it had naturally become his business.

"What are you doing?" Hoshou asked in a confused tone.

Like usual, Naru didn't answer. He merely continued to examine the ball of paper silently, finally deciding what had to be done. In a slow but practiced manner, he began to pull the note apart. The paper crinkled and cracked in an annoying sort of way. Fortunately it didn't last very long. Quickly enough, the contents of the odd note were revealed. It wasn't particularly spectacular at all, seeing as the message was literally just a four digit number.

"6134," Naru stated softly under his breath, his fingers gently tracing the paper and in turn the ink that was used. Regrettably that was his first mistake.

Suppressing a hiss of pain, Naru grabbed his head. It felt like his brain was being whacked with a sledgehammer. Every time he breathed a jolt of agony would slide down from the top of his head and attack the sensitive spot between his eyes. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Naru attempted to ignore the pain. He didn't want to make a scene. The last thing Lin needed to know was that he was suddenly experiencing a severe headache.

Straightening his shoulders and attempting to appear calm, Naru breathed deeply. That did nothing to improve the situation. His breath shook and quivered—it was almost like he had waltzed into the extreme cold. He could barely feel his hands, let alone his body. In fact, he was beginning to lose track of time. If that was a sign, it couldn't have been made in a way that was any more clear. The small ball of paper perched between his fingertips had triggered some sort of vision. The best thing he could do was let it play through.

His fingers, once complete still, had begun to move on their own. They absently pried at the notepaper, slowly flipping it upside down. With a vague sense of interest, Naru tilted his head in a downward position. His vision moved in and out of focus, blurring until the writing on the paper seemed to move. It squiggled around randomly; the message becoming more and more like a statement rather than a random set of numbers. Pulling the paper closer to his face, Naru held his breath. With a sudden intensity that was almost blinding, his sight became normal again. Instead of a bunch of numbers, the information on the paper created one word.

"Help," he recited in what seemed to be a steady tone.


	17. Waving the White Flag

_"Compromise brings harmony to both, happiness to none."_  
~Amit Kalantri

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

_Waving the White Flag_

The highway was a loud mess. Mai could see it through the glass that obscured her vision. Cars weaved past each other furiously; others blasted their horns in a symphony of madness. The craziness represented the inner workings of her mind well, so she could hardly be bothered. It was far better than worrying about her recent encounter. Naru was everything she had expected. The man—or child as she liked to think—was as cynical, self-possessed, and blatantly rude as she remembered. After waltzing through the hotel door like a battered china doll, he had basically chosen to strangle her with his mind. Her head seemed to dangle on a thread rather than a human body. If he had been more civil, perhaps Mai would have been more inclined to answer his demands. Unfortunately, the likelihood of that happening was zero to one. Impossible was a word that described the situation perfectly.

"Hoshou, I'm going to kill you," Mai muttered under her breath. She ran a weary hand through her hair and continued to curse silently within her mind. It was obvious that she needed help. At this point she could do very little to refuse it. Even so, she couldn't stop herself from feeling frustrated and utterly vindictive. If there was anything she didn't want to do, it was to become responsible for another injury. Sadao's condition was more than enough to handle at the moment.

Hardly suppressing a scowl, Mai rubbed the corner of her left eye. She was surprised when the sensation of water suddenly became apparent. While drowning in her overbearing and depressing thoughts, she had started to cry. In all honesty, it was rather pathetic. There she was—spewing tears like raindrops in a mouldy, muddy, and messy hotel. If there ever was a sight more unworthy of attention, it had abruptly decided to exist. Unwelcome didn't even come close to describing Mai's opinion on the subject. There was no energy left in her body to start sobbing uncontrollably, but it was happening nevertheless.

"How about a temporary truce?"

She didn't have to think twice about throwing her head into her hands. Mai miserably peered between her fingertips and wondered why fate seemed to hate her so much. An hour hadn't even passed and Naru, the tall, dark, and narcissistic fool, had decided to come crawling after her. A part of Mai silently wondered if he took pleasure in seeing her pain. His presence, the mere thought of it, had resulted in a catastrophe. She had chosen to embrace whatever emotions lingered in the past rather then what existed in the present. As a result, she had ignored Sadao. Look where that had gotten her now.

"How about no?" Mai grumbled, continuing to ignore the figure hovering over her.

A angry intake of breath quickly broke the silence. "You're wasting my time."

"Have you ever stopped to think that you're wasting mine? If you couldn't tell, I'm not exactly in the mood to have a conversation. There's a reason why I came here in the first place," Mai said softly, her fingers finally sliding away from the panes of her face. Her eyes—tired, red, and puffy—reluctantly clashed with Naru's immobile form. His gaze revealed absolutely nothing.

"I didn't come here to have a silly little conversation," Naru hissed, pausing to pull something from his right pocket, "I'd like to quickly inquire about this."

In a lazy yet arrogant sort of way, Naru had whipped out the palm of his hand. Shimmering faintly was a very worn and crumpled piece of paper. Mai knew that a number was scrawled across its surface. She had written the digits herself within the hospital. She could only wonder how Naru had gotten his grimy little fingers all over it.

"Where did you get that?"

"You shouldn't leave things lying around."

Absolute panic filtered throughout Mai's veins. "So you just decided to go through my bag?"

Naru shook his head in absolute disgust. "What I was trying to say before you so ignorantly interrupted, was that you shouldn't leave things lying around on the floor."

Mai's brain was fried. For a moment she honestly believed that Naru, in his overbearing impatience, had chosen to rummage through her belongings. Less than an hour ago he was certainly considering it. The idiot wanted answers more than anything in the world. There wasn't a cell in his body that didn't know how to not be a complete pain in the ass.

"So that's your excuse—lovely."

"It's just garbage," Naru said in a smooth tone. The expression across his face may have remained completely blank, but that didn't stop Mai from feeling like he was lying strait to her face.

"Then why ask about it? You can't possibly have me believe that you came out here to talk about a bit of paper."

His lips barely twitched. "I thought that you didn't want to talk at all?"

She had nearly forgotten what it was like to actually want to kill someone. Sure, she had threatened to murder Hoshou, but that was pretty sarcastic in nature. Naru on the other hand—he was a completely different story. Mai had actually imagined drilling him in the head with a shovel on several occasions. Perhaps that would knock some sense into his opinionated little brain.

"I just don't want to talk to you. There's a distinct difference."

"Look," Naru began in a very annoyed tone, "you're going to talk to me whether you like it or not."

Rubbing her eyes wearily, Mai sent Naru an incredibly doubtful stare. "Why?"

For a moment he seemed surprised by her simple question. It was obvious that he had expected some sort of snarky response. Unfortunately, despite his current knowledge, it was. If there was one thing she knew he hated, it was a request for justification. Naru hated explaining his reasons for doing absolutely anything. He was an ambiguous individual who enjoyed casting a shadow of mystery over each of his activities. The man was practically a ghost in human form. For that reason, Mai could barely suppress a tiny grin of satisfaction. Despite the odds, he would struggle with her inquiry. There was only so much he could decide to say.

"Do you want to die, Taniyama?"

That was a great way to avoid the question. Brooding silently, Mai stared at the ground. She should have expected less. Of course Naru would twist the conversation back onto her. It was a typical move, one she should have seen from kilometres away.

"I'm honestly interested in your opinion on the subject."

"I don't actively seek out the paranormal," she snapped, slowly clenching her fists. "I didn't purposely find the journal in order to torture myself."

"Are you so sure? I've never seen anyone wallow in their self-pity so much before."

Something deep inside of Mai's chest snapped. Before she could even control herself, she abruptly climbed off of the bench and flung a hand directly at Naru's face. She wasn't a violent person by any means, but for some reason she was no longer able to monitor her actions. A dark rage, something that came from nightmares, had filled her body to the brim. Unfortunately whatever motivations that had fuelled her activities suddenly failed. Before she could even meet her target, Naru's fingers had locked around her wrist. His grip was as hard and cold as steel. The look in his eyes was not far off either.

"There's a difference between self-pity and guilt."

"I'm aware of the distinction."

"Then use your so called superior intellect and apply it to real life," Mai hissed before attempting to pull her hand away from Naru's grasp. To be perfectly honest, she felt incredibly wrong. She shouldn't have tried to hit him. It was unnecessarily cruel, abusive, and narcissistic. To be perfectly blunt it was unlike her. She couldn't even remember a time when violence was her go to solution for solving a problem. As time passed she was evolving into a hypocrite; she was frustrated with hurting someone, yet deliberately chose to resort to brutality to hurt again.

"Are you finished?" Naru asked darkly, his grip slowly tightening.

By this time she had stopped moving. It was clear that she wasn't getting her hand back any time soon. "Are you?"

"Not quite."

"Well then hurry up with the degrading comments. I've had enough exposure to your pretentious attitude. It's contagious."

An annoyed sigh slipped though Naru's lips. He appraised Mai slowly, his eyes continuing reveal absolutely nothing remarkable. "Since you continue to act like a child, I'll dumb down my proposal so it will be clear to understand."

"And what proposal would that be?" Mai stated, completely ignoring the fact that he had insulted her level of intelligence.

"A truce."

"You said that earlier."

"I apologize," he said in an offhand tone, "I wasn't under the impression that you recognized the meaning of the phrase."

Another large scowl consumed Mai's features. She attempted to pull her hand away from Naru's grasp, but failed; his fingers only squeezed tighter. It was impossible not to feel like a child being scolded. His lean frame seemed to stretch into the sky like an apartment building, even casting a shadow along the ground.

"You need my help whether you like it or not. Screaming won't solve anything."

"I don't recall ever asking for your help," she muttered under her breath.

"Don't be fooled; I'm not exactly into charity. I'm in Japan due to a conference and that's it. Your situation is simply a convenient error that I have the ability to solve."

Mai laughed ruefully, "so my situation is simply an extracurricular activity to you?"

"Of a sort."

That statement was more painful than everything she had been forced to deal with all day. Biting back an angry sob, Mai tugged at her hand in a harsh manner. "Well I'm glad to know where we stand. Now let go."

"I'm not done," Naru began quietly, "not until you agree to be more compliant. I need answers, otherwise nothing will run smoothly."

All Mai could do was glare. She couldn't believe that Naru had the nerve to resort to blackmail. It was both ridiculous and utterly stupid. "No."

"Taniyama—"

"I said no," she interrupted rather calmly.

For some reason her response seemed to bother Naru. As he finally released her arm, a shadow—a mere shimmer of worry and panic—seemed to stretch across his face. In an odd sort of way, one which was almost desperate, he pulled out the slip of paper and shoved it directly in her face. "This isn't just a number, Mai. It's a message."

A chill creeped down her spine. "That's impossible."

"Who gave it to you?

Mai ran a hand throughout her hair. She returned to the bench, fear slowly creeping throughout her veins. "Some girl at the hospital. I was looking for a room, but didn't know the number."

"That wasn't a girl," Naru began, slowly beginning to flip the paper upside down, "that was a ghost."

With that one word everything changed. It was like someone had plopped Mai on an old tire swing and twisted the rope around a thousand times; she was left spinning in circles, the world becoming a giant blur of green, blues, violets, and reds. The journal was beginning to steal reality from her. As a result, she could hardly tell the difference between man and what was clearly paranormal. There was no human saying or phrase that could describe how terrible that really was.

"How do you know?"

Another annoyed sigh slipped through Naru's lips, "because I'm good at what I do."

Despite the arrogant tone of the statement, there was very little Mai could do to refute it. He was right—there wasn't a person in the world that knew ghosts, ghouls, or phantoms like he did. It was a pity that it had to be that way. She would have rather dealt with an intelligent elephant than a complete stick in the mud.

"She seemed so real," she whispered, her voice cracking in absolute terror.

"Maybe once, but that's besides the point," Naru said while he whipped his hand out again. In there centre of his palm was the crumbled piece of paper. He silently encouraged Mai to pick it up. Fingers quivering, she complied. The note was flipped around, but it appeared to have been deliberately placed that way. The numbers remained the same; each digit had been scribbled in a rushed sort of manner. The only change was the addition of a word written in Naru's elegant and archaic scrawl.

" _Help,_ " she recited in a blank tone.

"Yes. If you flip the numbers upside down they spell out that very word. It's like that foolish game children play on calculators."

Gently brushing the paper, Mai frowned. She couldn't help but feel greatly disturbed. While in the hospital she had waltzed right into the room without a care. Sure, she felt like something had been off, but it obviously wasn't enough to trigger the warning signs within her head. For the longest time it had been easy detecting a paranormal presence. With one footstep she could see a story play within her head. It was like the very air was ingrained with a past that she could only read. Something had certainly changed. Unfortunately it wasn't for the good.

"Do you know why this girl chose to seek you out?"

In all honesty she had a few ideas. The most likely option however, was closely tied to the journal. The only time she had seen anything remotely ghost-like was after it had popped into her life. Sure—there were times when she felt off, but absolutely nothing could be compared to her current situation. Perhaps the book was drawing entities towards her? It wasn't a hallucination; Naru was definitely under the impression that the note wasn't normal in the least.

Closing her eyes, Mai released a weary breath. The more she thought about the bloody book the more she desired to read it. She was beginning to believe that was apart of the whole process. The journal ensnared its victim with a bundle of paranormally charged words. Reading or even daring to complete the first page was how it all started. All that remained was figuring out a possible solution to the problem. She needed to know how the hell to get out.

"Taniyama?"

"The journal," she said in a blank tone, her eyes once again landing on the ground.

Naru stared at the paper plastered between her fingertips. His eyes, rather than glitter in the afternoon light, remained shaded and dark. Mai wished that she knew what he was thinking. It was probably rude and ridiculously self-righteous, but it was better than knowing nothing at all.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

She instantly regretted her previous thoughts. "How on earth—"

"I told you that I wanted to know more about it. Seeing as its the centre of this problem, maybe you'd be inclined to grant my wish."

"I'm not your fairy godmother," Mai said in a defeated tone.

"Who says that you couldn't become one?"

Shaking her head, she couldn't help but laugh angrily. "You're an idiot."

It was surprising when he didn't formulate a response. After everything, he chose to remain silent. In annoyance, Mai glanced at his face for the hundredth time. It was clear that he was waiting for a decision. Throughout their conversation he had asked if she would consider a truce, albeit indirectly. Not arguing would be nice for a change, but she wasn't completely ready to forgive and forget. Apart of her wanted to fight, shriek, and pull at Naru's stone cold exterior. The other half wanted to beg for his aid. Either way she couldn't exactly win. She had to give him some credit—time was something both of them could no longer afford to waste.

"Where is Lin?"

Surprise faintly registered throughout his features. "He's still in the hotel room."

"And Hoshou?"

"Gone"

Despite his pleadings, Mai continued to wonder where on earth Hoshou decided to go on his own. 'Personal business' was a category that stretched over a million possible things. She had several good guesses, but all were easily lost to the wind. The monk had the ability to be just as elusive and mysterious as the so called narcissist standing over a meter away.

"If I agree to your stupid truce, will you leave me alone?" Mai asked while fiddling with a stray piece of fabric along the edge of her shirt.

"I'll do as I like."

Frowning, she shook her head. "How typical."

Naru tilted his head slightly, allowing the breeze to tousle loose strands of his hair. "I don't have all day. Are you going to answer my question or continue to mope around like an immature school child? I'd honestly prefer the latter."

"First and foremost," Mai began, sending Naru a very condemning look, "I don't like the fact that you're here. If I had it my way you'd be flying back to England locked in a suitcase. Second, I'm not accepting your help because I want it. The only reason why I've decided to agree to your proposal is because I'm a decent human being. I _need_ help. You're all that I've got. Third—"

"I'm glad that you can count."

Mai scowled, "Do you ever listen?"

"A great deal," he replied before walking and sitting on the far end of the bench. "In fact, I'm prepared to listen now. Lin can wait. I think it's about time you told me about this journal."

She had nearly forgotten how demanding Naru could be when he wanted something. The odd thing was, she couldn't figure out why. His motivations were completely unknown to her. Yes—he had made his opinion on the subject very clear, but for some reason she couldn't believe that it was completely true. For a moment, an incredibly brief second, a look filled with concern had consumed his eyes. For that reason Mai had come to believe that he was hiding something. She had the full intention of discovering what that very thing was.

"Where would you like to start?" she asked, forcing every ounce of annoyance, fatigue, fear, and pride to slither out of her thin frame.

"The beginning."


	18. Follow the Yellow Brick Road

"Maybe you are searching among the branches for what only appears in the roots."  
~ _Rumi_

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

_Follow the Yellow Brick Road_

It was a beautiful night, but that was all Hoshou was willing to admit. He was currently starring at the stars while attempting to remove a rather ugly scowl from the edges of his mouth. He would have done anything for Mai. If he were to abruptly climb a mountain or fly through the air, it would have been done with a rather uncanny and out of place grin. Everything would have been wonderful just like a nice slice of apple pie. Naturally it came as a surprise when Hoshou realized that there was one particularly task that he didn't feel like doing. The closer he got to finishing it the more he could imagine a knife slowly ramming into his throat. Believe it or not he could nearly feel the agony in real life. Unfortunately that was part of the problem. He desperately wished for it to be real. That way he could actually avoid speaking for once.

Groaning, Hoshou jumped off the hood of his car, taking some comfort in the solid ground at his feet. He took one last glance at the stars, all while managing to maintain a grim and lacklustre smile. They may have been light-years away or suddenly dying at random, but that didn't stop him from making a wish or two. He needed all of the luck that he could get. In a few precious minutes he was going to regret breathing life into something that should have remained dead.

"Uh," he managed to spit out in distain. "Here goes nothing."

It took awhile for him to move forward, but following a short mental breakdown filled with regret, stupidity, and woe Hoshou finally managed to get where he needed to go. That place was a door. It was connected to a house, on a street, in some small mediocre town with absolutely no importance. That house was owned by a person—a woman to be exact—one who had a robust personality that was oddly violent and abusive. She was also incredibly loyal and at one point he should have taken that observation more seriously. He really should have taken _all_ of his observations seriously, but sometimes smart people could act impulsive and stupid.

With that in mind, he knocked on the door. Remaining calm was unnecessary. He had practically sinned for heaven's sake. If there was a God, he certainly wasn't looking down on him with kindness. Little could be said at this point seeing as there was nothing particularly favourable about the situation. Hoshou knew what was going to happen. Why else would he be so horribly fearful?

When the door finally creaked open, light spilled on the pavement like recently fallen rainwater. He slinked backwards like a cat, seeking solace within the shadows. To his distaste, the comfort he sought did not exist in the slightest. He was forced to confront his fear like some sort of knight in shining armor. Unfortunately he was far from the gallant and respectable man he envisioned within his head.

"Long time no see?" he spluttered between nervous gasps for air. The face that greeted him was far from forgiving.

* * *

"Is there a reason why Lin has to wait by the visitors desk?"

That had to have been Mai's hundredth question. For the past hour she had conjured the most ridiculous inquiries from the top of her head. Some ranged from completely insane, odd, and stupid, while others had a hint of intelligence. It was pretty surprising when Naru stopped to think about it. Some part of him had always thought that she was a bumbling buffoon, stumbling over the most simple of revelations as if she were a child. It was difficult to accept, but sometimes Mai had something valuable to say. He had put a lot of emphasis on his doubt however, as there was no way he could fully admit that she was particularly intelligent. If that were ever to occur, even at all, the world would start spinning on its axis, violently careening towards a black hole. Everyone and everything would die and abruptly be reborn again. There was no way that could ever happen. So rather than allow his weird beliefs to run rampant, Naru continued to ignore Mai. It wasn't nice, but he didn't care.

"Have you decided to become mute?"

A nasty aura enveloped Naru like a fluffy blanket. He was beginning to think that creating a truce had been an atrocious idea. Rather than hurl insults in response to Mai's combative attitude, he was forced to remain silent or become nauseatingly polite. The alternative was full out war, so there was little reason to complain. Still, he couldn't help but feel slightly concerned. There wasn't a time he could recall when she had been so prone to conflict. Normally she avoided it like some sort of hydrophobic substance. Now she was practically a walking magnet. Mai had finally told him about the journal so he could understand her pent up rage to an extent. Still, apart of him suspected it had one other origin.

"Say something already. You're making me look crazy," she hissed under her breath.

Naru almost smiled. He would allow himself to be rude just once otherwise he would be fighting against his nature. "You do that well enough on your own."

She looked at him angrily, only managing to make a pitiful sort of snort. "Lin should have come in your place. You barely have the decency to take any of this seriously."

"I have something that Lin will never possess."

"And what on earth would that be?"

Barely harnessing any kind of effort, Naru sent a brilliant grin in the direction of a rather pretty looking nurse. It took a millisecond before a ruby red blush slowly crept up her cheeks and neck. He didn't particularly care, but his point had been made. "What I have are devilish good looks and charm."

"Why," Mai began in a flustered tone, "does that even matter?"

There was no point in even sparing her a glance. "Lin is like a living and breathing rock. If he wants to talk to you, he will. If not, you're in for lovely chat with an inanimate object. We both know how that ends. It's not good for anyone. Me on the other hand—I can be a wonderful distraction. If I recall, you didn't exactly like any of the nurses here. I'm going to save you from that."

"With your so called charm and good looks?"

"Precisely."

A nice and dramatic eye roll was all he received in the end, which was surprising, considering her newly acquired knack for creating silly arguments. He supposed that was okay. The number one reason why she likely chose to say nothing was due to their presence at the hospital. After concluding her long and disastrous tale, he thought it would be smart to return to the area where she received the four-digit number in the first place. Mai didn't want to of course, but Naru wasn't about to toss away the only logical opportunity she had. That would be a ridiculously stupid and regrettable thing to do.

"Where did you see the ghost?"

An agitated expression slid across Mai's face. "You mean the girl?"

" _Where?_ " Naru ground out slowly, grimacing as an incredibly ancient woman sent him a mischievous grin. It was a secret sort of smile, one that sent shivers of repulsion down his spine. Long ago he had come to the conclusion that he would be a distraction for the afternoon. That fact, despite being rather small and insignificant had never bothered him, at least until now. He could deal with nurses, but not artifacts. To him, that seemed like a pretty fair ideal.

"Can't handle the attention?" Mai scoffed, barely suppressing a small smirk.

"You go on about wasting time, yet seem fairly determined to burn it all away yourself. Spare me the incessant trivia and start moving in the right direction. From what I can tell we've been walking around in circles," he retorted blankly. There wasn't a molecule in Naru's body that felt remorse at the expression plastered across her face.

"I'm just thinking."

"Think about the number and room."

He watched her pull at a random strand of hair. "That's the problem."

It was officially impossible to understand the woman trudging along his side. The whole bloody problem was with the room and random number. He couldn't comprehend why she would suddenly come to that conclusion whilst strolling throughout the hospital. Was she in a fantasyland filled with rainbows and unicorns? It took everything in Naru to suppress a loud, long, and frustrated groan of disbelief. Rather than smash his head against a wall or table, he took solace in pinching the bridge of his nose. He had just witnessed the most idiotic statement in all of history.

"What did I say about wasting time?"

Mai sniffed in indignation, slowly wiping the edge of her eye. "You're an insensitive moron."

"True enough, but unfortunately I'm not inclined to care. Limit your unintelligent declarations to a minimum please."

"I'm not stupid," she declared without regard for the volume of her voice.

Narrowing his eyes, Naru shifted to the left, which conveniently concealed Mai's petite form from the prying gaze of noisy onlookers. "I'd be more than happy if you decided to prove me wrong."

"Fine."

In an angry sort of way, Mai pulled up the edges of her shirtsleeves and began shuffling down the hallway. She appeared to be headed towards a nearby stairwell. It wasn't like he particularly cared which direction she was headed, as long as it was somewhere far away from the relentless stare of strangers. For some reason people were unable to pull their attention away from them. Sure, they made an odd duo, but it was no reason for people to go stark raving mad. Perhaps Lin really should have taken his place. At the moment he was gathering too much attention.

As he pushed open the entrance to the stairway Naru fiddled with a stray string in his pocket. A day ago he had chosen to entrust Mai with the four-digit number. It was originally under her ownership, so he didn't see the reason in keeping it himself. Still, that did nothing to silence the never-ending ranting within his mind. He had reason to believe that it had some sort of double meaning. It had to, especially since it was from a ghost. Creatures such as that were mischievous. They craved _something—_ whether that involved the essence of life, a person, wish, or good deed, it just wasn't his place to immediately know. All he had were very direct suspicions.

An unforeseen bought of infuriated whispers pulled Naru away from his train of thought. He didn't even have to think twice _—_ in approximately five seconds he evaluated the situation. Mai, in some sort of violent stupor, was waving her arms around like a mad man. She was muttering quietly, her eyes glittering with fear, annoyance, and fatigue. He had never seen anything like it. The most interesting part was that she didn't appear to be talking to anything. There was absolutely nothing to be seen except the faint shimmer of dust and debris in the air. Sunlight from a nearby window was splattered along the stair and railings like paint, but in the end that was all he could properly distinguish. If he had been any other person, a child or teenager perhaps, he certainly would be uncomfortable with the circumstances. Luckily he wasn't a kid. He was an intelligent human being who was far from a clumsy toddler. Toying around with a few ideas, Naru tentatively released a small amount of his spiritual power. To his distaste that did little to remedy the situation. He only received a rather nasty glare from Mai.

"It's about time that you got here! What have you been doing?"

Naru tried to look around the space again, but had difficulty thinking straight due to Mai's persistence. "I was walking."

"You could have walked a little faster!"

"I could have, but chose not to," Naru said in a miserable sort of way. There was no way he could correctly explain what he was seeing to Lin. It might have been funny, but there was literally nothing to put into words.

Rather than send back a half-baked retort, Mai whipped her head around to face the uppermost set of stairs. "No, he's not the friend I was talking about!"

"What friend?"

"That's none of your business," she replied hotly, another poisonous expression forming across her face. If Naru were to tell the complete truth, he would have described her as looking very troubled. There was something concealed within her words and dark gaze. It was frustrating to say the least.

Sighing deeply, Naru leaned against a nearby wall. He starred at Mai until she turned pink in the face. Either from anger or embarrassment, he couldn't care to tell. It was far too troublesome attempting to decipher all of the thoughts that somehow breezed through her head. What he did care about however was quite simple. He merely wanted to know why was the ghost invisible to him. Phantoms were unable to select one target from a group of individuals who were more than willing to see. It was a similar story when gifted people were involved. Naru, in all of his charming and divine glory, fell into both of those categories. Some other factor had to be involved.

"I'm not going to lie to you," he began in a lofty tone, "but I can't see what you've been talking to for the past five minutes."

Denial danced across Mai's delicate features. "That's not very funny."

"Do I look like I'm in the mood for fun and games?"

"When do you ever?"

Answering a question with another question _—_ something about that seemed eerily familiar. Frowning, Naru ran a hand along the length of his head taking little heed for the state of his hair. The only thing he cared about at this point was the situation Mai had somehow thrown herself into. As time wore on, he got the sense that she had dug a hole that was larger than Japan itself. Soon enough she wasn't going to be able to crawl out. Casting a glance toward the stairwell he couldn't help but release a small stream of questions. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Uh," Mai paused to rub her arm uncertainly, "she's not exactly into your aggressive attitude."

"I don't care."

"Well I'm not really into it either."

It was hard not to bite back an angry laugh, but he did it nevertheless. "Do you honestly want to trust a creature that you can only see? Does that not seem a little suspicious to you? Maybe even a bit dangerous? Taniyama, I've seen you do a lot of crazy things, but this is pretty exceptional."

"She helped me out before," she murmured hesitantly, "who's to say that she won't be inclined to do so again?"

Naru pinched the bridge of his nose for a second time. He didn't like the situation for one reason: if everything somehow went wrong there was nothing he could possibly do. The phantom could easy smash Mai into a wall, break a bone, or her sanity all with one false breath of air. If that happen he would be forced to sit on the sidelines like some useless ball boy. That was unacceptable. After spending more than enough time dwelling on his disturbing visions there was no way she was going to get away with a potential suicide attempt.

"If she can't answer those two questions we're leaving."

Annoyance was the only expression he could distinguish from her face. "Naru _—_ "

The lights flickered dramatically. All he did was raise an eyebrow to fully illustrate his point. The scowl that quickly adorned Mai's face was far from amusing. It was completely exasperating to say the least. How she could simply toss away her sense of caution was beyond his capability of comprehension. One second she was freaking out, her eyes blazing with terror or uncertainty, and the next she was acting like a beached whale. It was a miracle that he could tell the difference between the two. Half the time he was struggling to keep the peace. Dealing with her ridiculous mood swings was an entirely different problem.

Sending one last degrading look towards Naru, Mai turned to face the ghost or whatever creature lurked along the railings of the stairwell. "You could at least tell us your name. That seems like a pretty good ice-breaker."

"Taniyama _—_ "

"Why not?" she cut off in an exasperated tone, "you've put me through enough trouble as it is. If you can give me a number I'm sure you can give me a name."

If there was one thing Naru was beginning to hate it was being ruthlessly ignored. How was he supposed to help Mai if he couldn't participate in the conversation? It was impossible to know what she was even referring to half of the time since he couldn't see the damn thing she was chatting with. It was more than frustrating—it was simply excruciating and painful. There was only one time he had felt helpless and that was after Gene had died. He didn't like it. In fact, with every passing moment he could feel a blind rage slipping behind his calm facade. As the seconds passed it only became more pronounced. The only thing stopping him from exploding was Mai's safety.

"Just spit it out already. What do you have to lose?"

Naru clenched his fists. He starred at the top of the stairway simply willing the ghost to make a quick and respectable decision. He didn't particularly care what it was; it was just important that Mai got away from the hospital as fast as possible. There was just too much he couldn't predict.

"Hey," Naru hissed, his fingers somehow finding their way around Mai's arm. "What did I say before? If she can't answer any of your questions we're leaving."

The lights flickered once again, casting long and heavy shadows along the brick walls within the stairwell. The expression on Mai's face had somehow darkened. It was as if a great evil had suddenly kissed her rosy cheeks, sucking away any hints of sunshine or colour with the ease of a lazy summer breeze. That very moment, a mere instant in time, was simply terrifying. He wanted to say something, but the words refused to leap from his lips. He had never felt so speechless in his entire life. His feelings were jumbled, tangled, and twisted in his throat.

"We can leave." Mai suddenly stated.

"What?"

"I said that we could leave."

"I'm not deaf," Naru replied hotly.

For the first time Mai remained perfectly quiet. Her mouth was set in a firm line and her eyes were cold as ice. Instead of formulating some sort of reply, she simply grabbed Naru's hand and began dragging him away from the stairwell. Her nails dug into the flesh of his hand, creating small crescent shaped moons along the surface of his skin. He didn't resist. Naru simply stared at her face in complete silence. He had never wanted or even desired to know what was going on in her head. Now that had changed. Due to the stupidity of the situation he was forced to follow Mai's lead completely. He didn't trust her, not with all of the secrecy she had woven around her shoulders like a cape. The only person he could trust was himself. That had become painfully apparent.

"Let go, Mai. I don't need your grimy fingers touching me."

She didn't let go.

Naru scowled and attempted to abruptly stop walking. He didn't particularly care when Mai winced in pain or tugged on his shirtsleeve like a child. He only wanted to know what the hell was going on. "Seeing as you're a grown adult with a functioning brain, I know for a fact that you have the ability to talk."

"I know what she wants," Mai said, shattering both the silence and Naru's frustration. "At least that's what I think."

"The drama was a little unnecessary."

Mai bit the inside of her cheek before roughly grabbing Naru's hand once again. "She couldn't stay. I don't know why, but she kept saying that something was coming."

Those words seemed to echo within Naru's head like an old church bell. He could feel the imaginary vibrations strike a chord in his memory somewhere within the depths of his all-knowing brain. He couldn't exactly pin down the details; it seemed like the very thought of them all purposely eluded his very consciousness. Still, he knew Mai had said something like that before. He didn't know where or when, but at some point in time, the phrase had popped out of her mouth like a curse. That very thought only served to elevate his curiosity, worry, and anger.

"I don't suppose this ghost managed to say anything about what was coming after her?"

A frown slithered across Mai's mouth. She pulled on Naru's arm to keep him moving toward the nearest exit. "No."

"Did she give you a name?"

Mai only tugged harder. "No."

"So you're telling me that this little adventure to the hospital was absolutely pointless?" Naru snapped angrily. He tried to pry her fingers away from his hand again, but his efforts were fruitless. She only clutched at his limb even tighter than before, completely oblivious to his discomfort and increasing levels of unease.

"No."

"Is that the only word you're capable of saying?"

"Obviously not."

Patience, the thinly veiled and awkward sort, was the only thing holding Naru together at this point. "Then what are you doing? What do you expect Lin to think when we both come back with no information at all? We didn't come all of this way to sing, dance, and carry on like a bunch of fools in a hospital of all places. There's a job that needs to be done—"

"Naru, for the love of God and everything you hold dear, trust me for once," Mai spat out angrily. In the dim overhead lighting her skin still looked incredibly pale and devoid of life. It truly appeared as though some devilish creature had sucked away the warmth and kindness within her features.

"You don't know what you're even asking."

Doubt filtered across her gaze. "Maybe I don't, but right now I know that I need you to leave this building with me."

"Why?"

There it was again—the constant fear and negativity that seemed to nag and peck at Mai's mind. He could almost feel it crackle within the air, sparking a kind of electricity that could set the world on fire. If he closed his eyes long enough Naru was certain that the flames would become a reality. It seemed as though his nightmares were transpiring in real life as of late. At this point it was hard to believe that daydreams couldn't possibly do the same thing.

"She wouldn't say what was coming, but I know—Naru, I _know_ that it's horrible."

"You still haven't answered my question."

"It's not so simple! I just _feel_ like it's wrong to be here."

"You basically said that when we entered this damn place. Think rationally and apply logic to what you're saying. Maybe we have to leave, but there has to be a reason beyond your illogical and feminine _feelings_."

Mai bit her lip and tightened her grip on Naru's arm. "She wants me to read the journal."

It was difficult not to reel in complete shock. "That is the most illogical thing that I've ever heard."

"You wanted to know more about the ghost!"

"Reading some sort of cursed book has nothing to do with what I asked."

"How would you know? It's not like you could participate in the conversation."

Naru ripped Mai's hand off of his jacket. He gazed at her face in a defiant and angry manner, not even bothering to hold back his most poisonous glare. "That's the problem, Taniyama. If you haven't noticed, this whole investigation is based entirely on what you perceive. There is no evidence to prove that anything you're experiencing is real."

"I have the journal."

"You refuse to let anyone touch it. For an unintelligent person that may seem a little suspicious."

"The number? You said that it was paranormal."

"I'm not a lowlife with poor deductive skills. It's clearly paranormal, but that's not the issue. The dilemma is that you're the only individual that can see the entity who gave you the number."

"So?" Mai whispered.

"You're being purposely isolated. For someone who claims to be clever, you continue to act independently without regard for the people surrounding you."

"I— "

"Don't bother with the excuses," Naru interrupted angrily. "The monk might accept them, but I'm an entirely different person. You asked me to trust you, Mai. With that in mind, please allow me to enlighten you for a moment. Trust is reciprocated. If you don't trust me how am I supposed to place any faith in you?"

A ray of sunshine seemed to spill across Mai's upturned face. It wasn't an indication of happiness; it was more of a sign that her brain was operating once again. Before it was muddled and clouded like muddy water. Now the dust appeared to be settling and slowly sinking to the floor. Perhaps she was experiencing some sort of revelation. At the end of the day, Naru wasn't exactly inclined to care. As long as Mai ceased acting like a human devoid of all common sense and intellect he would be more than satisfied. It was far too difficult attempting to help a person who continued to act paranoid, childish, and ridiculously remote. Absently he wondered what Hoshou would think about the whole situation. He had placed faith in Lin and Naru's abilities and yet it seemed as if their efforts were bound to fail. As long as Mai continued to push everyone away Hoshou's plan was futile.

"What if I was telling the truth?" Mai said softly, her eyes directly meeting his own.

Naru sucked in a breath. "Maybe you are, but then again how am I supposed to know?"

Mai groaned loudly before rubbing her eyes in both a tired and weary manner. "You can read the journal if that's what you want. Just don't be surprised if it stabs you in the back. If you want my honest opinion it seems like the haunting becomes worse when other people get involved."

"Everyone is aware of the consequences. I thought that was discussed already."

"I wasn't thinking straight back then. Didn't you say that I needed to be levelheaded and rational? Well right now I'm giving you must honest opinion without any emotional and feminine baggage."

It had suddenly become very difficult not to smirk. It was amazing how Mai somehow remembered everything he seemed to say. "I'll take your statement into consideration. Is there anything else you care to share at the moment?"

"The conversation you missed out on wasn't anything special," she said cautiously, her eyes flicking around the hospital relentlessly. "She simply told me that I had to keep reading. I tried to get a name, but she avoided the question entirely. It was the same with the number."

"Do you want to keep reading?"

"I don't think that I have a choice."

"Don't be foolish."

"It's not that I'm acting immature on purpose. I seriously have to keep reading the thing." Mai said softly. She closed her eyes briefly before sucking in a deep breath of air. Even that small action was enough to trigger Naru's interest once again.

"Lin was surprised that you decided to keep the journal after the attack in your apartment. He thought that that you would have chosen to leave it behind."

"It's a parasite. Once it's attached to a reader it won't let them go."

A pang of worry shot through Naru's veins. Perhaps both Lin and Hoshou's previous evaluations were correct. "Perhaps you should consider ignoring the ghost's request for the time being. At least until more research can be collected regarding the journal."

"The only way to get any more information is to read it. We're not going to be able to figure out anything until I do."

"Be that as it may, but right now that's a horrible idea. Remember what I said about trust? Take my opinion into consideration before you completely revert to your own."

"Fine," Mai mumbled under her breath. "We'll talk to Lin and discuss the possibilities."

Naru nodded firmly, but he bit back a retort filled with distaste. He regretted coming to the hospital. Before he believed that it was a step forward in the investigation and a reasonable place to start. Now his position on the situation had completely flipped on its axis. He was literally back to square one. Everything he had attempted to complete at this point was an absolute waste of time. The worst part was the expression that would inevitably be plastered across Lin's features. It would likely be the most dark and menacing glare in all of existence. He could picture it now; the dull yet sharp gleam in his eyes matched with a downward tilt of the mouth. It was something that he couldn't possibly begin to look forward to.

"Let's go," he finally allowed himself to say. "We can get Lin and tell him what happened."

"He's going to be very unhappy." Mai managed to grumble quietly.

"You don't say?"

Sighing half-heartedly she managed to lift her arms and gesture to the surrounding area. "We made a scene."

She wasn't lying. Several nurses and patients were starring at them from a distance. Some were whispering rather loudly; Naru could hear the harsh tones trickle throughout the air. Others had chosen to point and laugh like a bunch of animals. He didn't even want to imagine what was passing through each of their heads.

"Don't just stand there. Let's go already."

"You should have listened to me before," Mai hissed in a very low tone. "If it wasn't for your stupid goods looks we could have left without making a scene at all."

"Back to that conversation now are we?"

Huffing rather theatrically Mai crossed her arms and began stomping away like some sort of flustered elephant. Naru on the other hand simply sighed and wondered how often he would have to watch her walk away. He couldn't recall ever considering that before, but he supposed that things were beginning to change. It was odd; he used to enjoy staring at the back of people's shirts, bags, or heads purely for the relief of avoiding some sort of awkward confrontation. Sharing words with individuals he didn't care about was exhausting. Every time he was forced to accomplish it a part of his soul was violently being exposed to the world. He had never wanted to touch the sunlight or bathe in the company of others. He merely desired to be alone. For that reason it was truly remarkable how one person's shadow could begin to make a difference.


End file.
